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39-569: The Rainbow Interchange is a four–level stack interchange located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport . The interchange connects two major highways in the area, I-95 (leading to Miami and West Palm Beach ) and I-595 (leading to Davie and the airport). The interchange opened in 1991. While minor construction improvements and repainting have occurred since

78-549: A Texas-style five-level stack exchange (see below). One of the first four-level stack interchanges in the northeastern United States was constructed in the late 1960s over I-84 in Farmington, Connecticut , for the controversial I-291 beltway around the city of Hartford . Most of the I‑291 beltway was later cancelled, and the sprawling stack lay dormant for almost 25 years. In 1992 the extension of Connecticut Route 9 to I-84 used

117-490: A grid of nearby one-way streets . A common setup is for one mainline to go below grade and another to go above grade. The intersection of the frontage roads is typically at grade or close to it. Two pairs of left-turn connectors are built above these. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has several five-level stacks, most notably the High Five Interchange between US 75 and I-635 ; completed in 2005 and currently

156-506: A railway line bisecting it at its lowest level. The M4/M25 junction is slightly offset so there is no point where all four levels are directly above each other. M25 (a north–south road at this junction) is offset to the east by approximately 60 metres (200 ft). The junction of the A19 and A66 in Teesside uses a three-level variant, with a 270-degree loop allowing southbound A19 traffic to exit to

195-520: A single point as in a conventional four-level stack. The first four-level stack interchange in Texas was built in Fort Worth at the intersection of I-35W and I-30 (originally I-20) near downtown. This interchange, finished in 1958, was known as "The Pretzel" or the "Mixmaster" by locals. The original contract cost was $ 1,220,000. Improvements to the old Mixmaster over the past 60 years include an upgrade to

234-569: Is a six-level stack on the Yan'an East Road Interchange ( Chinese : 延安东路立交 ) in Puxi, Shanghai, with no dedicated HOV/bus/truck lanes. It is six-level stack because it is formed by two elevated highways, Nanbei Elevated Road and Yan'an Elevated Road with service roads and a footbridge underneath. The centrally located interchange has a central pillar known as the Nine-Dragon Pillar ( 九龙柱 ). The story

273-620: Is also the only true four-level stack in Canada. Highway 407's other proposed four-level stacks at Highway 410 and Highway 404 were reduced to three-level cloverstack interchanges , with loop ramps being built instead of a fourth level of semi-directional ramps. Similarly, the interchange with Highway 427 has four levels but only two semi-directional flyover ramps that cross each other connecting to Highway 427 south of that junction. Two loop ramps link Highway 407 with Highway 427 north of that junction. In Belgium, on

312-503: Is not located near a body of water, most of the city's exports travel through the Port of Durban . The N2 connects Cape Town with Durban and serves the South African cities of Port Elizabeth , East London and George and the towns of Grahamstown , Port Shepstone , Richards Bay and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park . Two busy roads intersect at the junction. A four-level stack interchange

351-566: Is that after several construction accidents, a monk suggested the nine-dragon be welcomed with a bas relief sculpture depicting the dragon. An unusual six-level stack is located at the junction between Interstate 35E and I-635 in Dallas, Texas , and does not contain any service or frontage roads. The interchange features two levels of highway with the top three levels consisting of direct connection ramps and HOV connectors. A single ramp leading from I-635 westbound to I-35E southbound weaves underneath

390-715: The Brussels Ring there are two four-level stack interchanges: The Grand-Bigard and Machelen interchange (only partly in use). In Germany, there is one, the Wetzlarer Kreuz . In Greece, there is also one four stack interchange near Metamorfosi , which connects the A1 and A6 (Attiki Odos) motorways. In the Netherlands there is currently one four-level stack interchange: the Prins Clausplein near The Hague . It forms

429-572: The I-635 eastbound bridge, making the interchange six levels. The interchange between I-35E and the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Lewisville, Texas , although similar in design to five-level stacks elsewhere in Texas, also qualifies as a six-level stack, since the ramp connecting the eastbound Sam Rayburn Tollway with northbound I-35E goes over the fifth-level ramps connecting I-35E in both directions with

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468-427: The I‑291 right-of-way and some sections of the abandoned interchange. Several ramps still remain unused, including abandoned roadbed for I-291 both north and south of the complex. Four-level stacks are used for the interchanges between: Another well-known stack interchange lies west of Baltimore, Maryland , serving as the junction between I-695 and I-70 . It was originally built for a planned extension of I‑70 into

507-646: The Nanjing's Yingtian Street Elevated has one each where it intersects the Inner Ring Road twice. Sometimes a fifth level is added for HOV connectors. An example of this exists in Los Angeles, California , at the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange . The connector from HOV southbound 110 to HOV westbound 105 can be at the same level as the connector from mixed eastbound 105 to mixed northbound 110, but

546-629: The Sam Rayburn Tollway. The ramp connecting the westbound Sam Rayburn Tollway with southbound I-35E is on the fourth level of the interchange, going under the fifth-level ramps connecting both directions of I-35E with the Sam Rayburn Tollway. Four Level Interchange The highway is a stack interchange that connects U.S. Route 101 to State Route 110 . All movements are possible in this interchange between US 101, which crosses over SR 110, but not necessarily with surrounding roads, like Sunset Boulevard , which crosses SR 110 just northeast of

585-503: The beltway's northwest quadrant. The newly reconstructed interchange of I-610 and I-69, with the new I‑610 northbound feeder road built underground and the new I-610 southbound feeder road overpass, is also a five-level stack interchange. Though not a Texas-style stack in the above sense, an unusual stack is nonetheless found in Houston that features more than four levels of traffic but whose fifth level exists in only one direction. In 2011,

624-649: The city. Due to strong opposition, I‑70 ends at a park and ride three miles (4.8 km) east. As a result, the road east of I‑695 sees little traffic compared to the high volumes to and from the west. Another four-level stack interchange in the Baltimore area is located at the northeastern junction between I-695 and I-95 . The stack was built as part of a massive I-95 reconstruction project that includes high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT lanes), designed to relieve congestion between Baltimore and its northeastern suburbs. The Springfield Interchange , south of Washington, D.C. ,

663-640: The connector from HOV southbound 110 to HOV eastbound 105 needs to be higher level, since it crosses over the former connector. Another case is where connection to nearby arterials suggests that another level may be useful, thus making the interchange more complicated but easier to use. In the Atlanta area, a side ramp forms the fifth level of the Tom Moreland Interchange , colloquially known as Spaghetti Junction , found in DeKalb County, Georgia . There

702-549: The eastern end of C-470 and the southern end of E-470 . In Thornton, Colorado , there is another stack serving I-25 and E-470 at its northern end as it continues west as the Northwest Parkway . The initial design of Highway 407 had several four-level stack interchanges planned at junctions with existing 400-series highways , but only one example was built: the interchange at Highway 400 in Vaughan, Ontario , which

741-502: The girders are being repainted royal blue. The repainting of the existing girders to just one consistent color may require the interchange to be given a new name. These ramps include ramps connecting the northbound and southbound express lanes on I-95 to both directions of I-595. The Rainbow Interchange marks the southern end of a segment of I-95 that saw traffic levels of roughly 328,000 automobiles per day in 2013. Interstate 595 carries roughly half that load in its eight lanes just west of

780-479: The interchange displaced over 4,000 people from their homes and cost $ 5.5 million ($ 50.7 million in 2023) - making it the most expensive half-mile of highway ever built at the time. The mainline traffic of US 101 is at the top of the interchange, above the ramps, a rarity in stack interchanges. Other examples of similar configurations would later be constructed, including on the M25 interchange with M23 passing above

819-557: The interchange the fifth level, as US 90 to I-10 westbound merges onto I-10 before crossing I-610. (None of the frontage roads for these highways cross the interchange itself, and thus do not factor into the complexity of the stack.) More than 40 bridges make up the five-level stack interchange known as the Big ;I between I-40 and I-25 in Albuquerque, New Mexico . China is also home to many Texas-style stack interchanges. For example

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858-592: The interchange. The interchange is located at Exit 3 of US 101 and Exit 24A of SR 110. The four freeway segments ("paths" of travel) from the Four Level Interchange are: While the highway oriented east–west at this intersection has consistently been numbered US 101, the numerical designation of road oriented north–south at this interchange has changed over the years. Originally designated U.S. Route 66 and U.S. Route 6 and later signed as State Route 11, all of these designations were eventually removed from

897-551: The intersection and replaced with the current designation of Route 110. The four-level reinforced concrete structure was designed by a team of engineers and built by the James I. Barnes Construction Company. Although it was finished in 1949, it was not put into full use until the freeways it served were completed and opened on 22 September 1953. In July 2006, the freeway interchange was officially named in honor of Bill Keene , former KNX and KNXT traffic and weather reporter, although

936-903: The junction of the A4 and A12. In the United Kingdom there are three four-level stacks: at the junction of the M4 and M25 near Heathrow Airport in London (the Thorney Interchange ), at the junction of the M23 and M25 to the south of London (the Merstham Interchange), and at the junction of the M4 and M5 near Bristol (the Almondsbury Interchange ). The M4/M25 junction is particularly unusual as it also has

975-527: The junction of two Interstate highways. Stack interchange A directional interchange , colloquially known as a stack interchange , is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges eliminate the problems of weaving , have the highest vehicle capacity, and vehicles travel shorter distances when compared to different types of interchanges. The first directional interchange built in

1014-701: The middle section have traffic driving on the opposite side of oncoming traffic to usual (see diagram for clarity). The first stack interchange was the Four Level Interchange (renamed the Bill Keene Memorial Interchange), built in Los Angeles , California, and completed in 1949, at the junction of US Route 101 (US 101) and State Route 110 (SR 110). Since then, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has built eight more four-level stacks throughout

1053-480: The motorist deviates from the intended direction of travel while on the ramp. Direct ramps are shorter and can handle higher traveling speeds than semi-direct. The four-level stack (or simply four-stack ) has one major freeway crossing another freeway with a viaduct, with connector flyover ramps crossing on two further levels. This type of interchange does not usually permit U-turns . The four-level stack creates two "inverse" dual-carriageways —the turn ramps crossing

1092-466: The new name is rarely used. Keene referred to the interchange as "The Stacks" and the "4-H Interchange". During the 1960s, Dick Whittinghill on radio station KMPC sometimes called it the Four Letter Interchange. The interchange was constructed as a stack interchange because surrounding buildings and terrain made construction of a cloverleaf interchange impractical. The construction of

1131-504: The opening of the interchange, the interchange is experiencing major additions throughout 2025 as part of the Florida Department of Transportation 's 95 Express project. The Rainbow Interchange opened to traffic on March 22, 1991. The cost of constructing the interchange was $ 121 million (equivalent to $ 241.3 million in 2023). Jim Weinberg designed the color scheme for the overpasses. He used Art Deco -stylized shades of color for

1170-571: The overpasses: winter blue, mural pink, cockleshell, natural grain, sailor's sky, and hazy sun. In 1990, while the interchange was still under construction, the Miami Herald ran a contest in which its readers were requested to submit names for the soon-to-be important connection between two Interstate highways . The winning name was the Lauderloop , an ironic choice as four-level stack interchanges do not incorporate loops in their design. The contest

1209-404: The previously four-level stack interchange between I-610 and I-10 on the city's east side gained a new (though long-planned) level of complexity with the opening of four ramps connecting the new US 90 (Crosby Freeway) to the east, featuring direct movements for the new freeway to and from the southeast quadrant of I-610, to westbound I-10, and from eastbound I-10. It is the latter ramp which gives

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1248-418: The state of California , notably the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange , as well as a larger number of three-level and four-level stack– cloverleaf hybrids (where the least-used left-turning ramp is built as a cloverleaf-like 270-degree loop). The stack interchange between I-10 and I-405 is a three-level stack, since the semi-directional ramps are spaced out far enough so they do not need to cross each other at

1287-732: The tallest interchange in the world. Others can be found at the interchanges between State Highway 121 (SH 121) and the Dallas North Tollway , SH 121 and I-35E / US 77 , I-30 and I-35W , I-30 and President George Bush Turnpike and others which are technically five levels but do not fit under a Texas-style stack configuration (i.e. the extra level being located away from the central stack or existing in only one direction). The Houston area has seven five-level stack interchanges along Beltway 8 : at I-10 east and west of downtown, I-69 northeast and southwest of downtown, I-45 north and south of downtown, and US 290 in

1326-450: The upgraded interchange opened in October 2018. A four-level stack interchange was chosen to serve the increasing volumes of traffic in the uMhlanga/Mount Edgecombe area. In Texas , many stacks contain five levels. They usually have the same configuration as four-level stacks, but frontage roads add a fifth level. The frontage roads usually intersect with traffic lights and are similar to

1365-602: The westbound A66. The Light Horse Interchange at the junction of the M4 and M7 is a four-level stack interchange in Sydney , New South Wales, Australia. Opened in late 2005, it is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The EB Cloete Interchange just outside Durban, South Africa , is another four-level stack interchange. The N3 is the busiest highway in South Africa and a very busy truck route. Because Johannesburg

1404-407: The world was the Four Level Interchange which opened to Los Angeles traffic in 1949. A directional interchange is a grade separated junction between two roads where all turns that require crossing over or under the opposite road's lanes of travel to complete the turn utilize ramps that make a direct or semi-direct connection. The difference between direct and semi-direct connections is how much

1443-599: Was a short-term joke as virtually nobody in the local media referred to "Lauderloop" in their articles and reports involving the interchange, choosing the Rainbow moniker instead. In 2002, the Florida Department of Transportation decided to repaint the interchange in bold colors. As of 2022, due to Phase 3 of the I-95 Express Lanes extension, the interchange is being expanded with more overpasses and flyover ramps. The existing overpasses and flyover ramps are being kept, but

1482-498: Was chosen to serve the high volumes of traffic. The Mount Edgecombe Interchange is another four-level stack interchange just outside Durban, South Africa , and is the intersection between the N2 (to Durban and KwaDukuza ) and the M41 (to Mount Edgecombe and uMhlanga ). The interchange which was previously a simple diamond interchange was upgraded to a four-level/four-stack interchange, with

1521-566: Was rebuilt into a four-level stack to accommodate I-95 's transition from the Capital Beltway to its own alignment further south into Virginia. This was necessitated by the inadequacy of the original configuration that was caused by the rerouting of I-95 onto the Beltway after its cancellation within Washington and points north. In Lone Tree, Colorado , there is a four-level stack serving I-25 ,

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