The Greenstead roundabout is a large
roundabout
A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
junction in
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
,
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, England.
It is a "
magic roundabout", where traffic travels both directions around a central island. It is a ring junction comprising five mini roundabouts, with two lanes in each direction, joining each to its neighbour. It is known for its complexity, and the resulting confusion it causes for some motorists. The nickname "magic roundabout" comes from the television programme, ''
The Magic Roundabout
''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's programme that ran on BBC Television from 1965 to 1977.
It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show '' Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts a ...
'', which was popular in the 1970s, when this novel layout was devised.
It is located between the Hythe and Greenstead areas of the town, with the
A133 (St Andrew's Avenue); Avon Way; Greenstead Road and the
A134 (Elmstead Road).
The Colchester roundabout lacks the intermediate traffic islands found on the
similar roundabout in Swindon, but nonetheless it is possible to traverse around the large inner roundabout in a clockwise or an anticlockwise direction as desired.
The creation of the roundabout stirred much controversy among the local community, as large amounts of the nearby Greenstead cemetery were destroyed to make way for the project. Since that time, many houses have been built between the roundabout and the cemetery, diminishing the size and use of the cemetery significantly, with the majority of housing now being let to students.
See also
*
Magic Roundabout (Hemel Hempstead)
"The Magic Roundabout" in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, is the familiar name given to the Plough Roundabout. The familiar name comes from the children's television programme, and is also used for a similar junction in Swindon, the ...
*
Magic Roundabout (High Wycombe)
The Magic Roundabout (officially named Abbey Way Gyratory) in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, is similar to the complex roundabouts in Hemel Hempstead and other places. It is located on the junction of the A40 and A404 roads.
Routes ...
*
Magic Roundabout (Swindon)
The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England, is a ring junction constructed in 1972 consisting of five Roundabout#Mini-roundabouts, mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle. Located near the County Ground (Swindon), County Ground, home of Swindon Town ...
*
Denham Roundabout
Denham Roundabout, alt=Denham Roundabout, with a blue one-way road sign
The Denham Roundabout is a road junction in Denham, Buckinghamshire. It was originally opened in 1943 in conjunction with the completion of the new Western Avenue route in ...
References
External links
Google Maps satellite image viewBBC News 1972: Colchester Roundabout
C
Transport in Colchester
Road junctions in England
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