The 19 Most Complex and Dangerous Roads in the World

[Disneyphile]

For the driving enthusiasts in the bunch! (http://www.waze.com/blog/the-19-most-complex-and-dangerous-roads-in-the-world/comment-page-1/) :)

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I've lived in LA all my life and I have never in the last 17 years hears this referred to as the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. Has anyone else?
http://www.waze.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/The-Judge-Harry-Pregerson-Interchange.jpg

[Kevy Baby]

There are a couple on there that are really not that complicated (or dangerous). For example, the 105/110 interchange is very well marked with lots of room and is easy to navigate. The Four-Level in downtown LA (110/101 interchange) is much more tricky.

There are several roads on there I would love to drive (the first two for starters).

[Ghoulish Delight]

Just about every interchange in L.A. is named for someone. No one ever uses the names though.

[Tref]

I've lived in LA all my life and I have never in the last 17 years hears this referred to as the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. Has anyone else?


I have always called it the Honorable Judge Harry Pregserson Interchange.

[Kevy Baby]

I've lived in LA all my life and I have never in the last 17 years hears this referred to as the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. Has anyone else?There are probably signs, but that is about it. Naming interchanges and sections of roads after people has become very popular in So. Cal in the last several years (the 57 freeway between the 91 and Imperial Highway is named after CHP Officer Donny Burt (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sentenced-224900-death-county.html), who was killed in the line of duty in 1996.

I found this on Wikipedia about Judge Harry Pregerson:
In 2002, the California Legislature officially named the giant interchange between Interstate 110 (California) and Interstate 105 (California) the "Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange" in honor of the fact that Pregerson is the longest serving judge in the history of the Ninth Circuit. Furthermore, as a district judge, he supervised the settlement of the federal lawsuit against the Century Freeway, which enabled the interchange to be built. Judge Pregerson's name is now on signs at the interchange

[innerSpaceman]

Apparently we have pussy roads in America. All the good and scary road are in Europe, Japan, China, and South America. WTF?

Oh, and picking one of the world's safest modern (yet complex) interchanges in the World so that L.A. can represent America in having one complex road is lame. There are plenty of complex, scenic roads in the U.S. (The one near Mount Rushmore comes to mind as a hairpin, winding, tunneled, alpine type),


But ok, the ones with the tunnels in China, the alpine ones in France and Italy, and OMG that troll ladder one in Norway put us to shame.

[Alex]

Some interesting places but for several of them "Complex and Dangerous" seems to mean "Looks funny in an aerial photograph." Visual complexity can actually produce physical simplicity (the people driving on the roads are dealing with the entire complexity).

A lengthy two-lane heavily-switchback road is neither complex nor inherently dangerous. There are standard four-way intersections in Oakland that are, for various reasons, probably more complex and more dangerous than some of thse.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

My favorite episode of Top Gear featured the three hosts driving super cars through this pass. It was filmed so beautifully and the drive looked exceptionally fun.

[Gemini Cricket]

Wow!
I guess the Hana Hwy on Maui is not so bad.

[BarTopDancer]

I'm trying to recall if I have ever been on the 110/105 interchange. It looks intimidating from above and the description but I'm sure it's well marked.

Most of those roads gave me anxiety just looking at them.

[Kevy Baby]

I'm trying to recall if I have ever been on the 110/105 interchange. It looks intimidating from above and the description but I'm sure it's well marked.It is a VERY easy interchange to navigate. The photo makes it look bad.

Like I said above, the four-level in downtown LA is much harder to navigate and even that one isn't that bad.

Personally, I think the 5/55 has some bad design flaws; especially transitioning from the 5-S to the 55-S.

[Ghoulish Delight]

In OC I think the 22E to 5S is the worst. Even when there's no traffic on either freeway, that interchange is backed up.

[Snowflake]

Okay, the tunnel road in China looks very cool

[Kevy Baby]

In OC I think the 22E to 5S is the worst. Even when there's no traffic on either freeway, that interchange is backed up.The 22 E to anything (at the Orange Crush) is FUBAR. They did a horrible job on that rebuild.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yep. But going to the 5S gets you the worst of it. Puts you right at the confluence of freeway traffic, transition traffic, traffic merging in from City Drive and Bristol, and traffic trying to exit City Drive and Bristol. Madness.

[innerSpaceman]

The Highway between the 10 in Arizona and Las Vegas is known as Death Road. It's not particularly harrowing - just a flat, straight road really. Except the billboards and signs every few yards touting the ghastly death toll on that road can be unsettling - and a self-fulfilling prophesy.

[Not Afraid]

My hated LA interchange is where the 5 merges with the 5 going South right past the 60. There are two lanes on the right that merge into 3 lanes on the left and you're going normal freeway speed limit when you do it. The problem is that the far left lane on the right side merges into the far right lane of the left side and becomes one lane. It's very sudden and not expected.

As for dangerous highways, Ortega and Laguna Canyon Road are the two that come to mind.

[BarTopDancer]

Personally, I think the 5/55 has some bad design flaws; especially transitioning from the 5-S to the 55-S.

In OC I think the 22E to 5S is the worst. Even when there's no traffic on either freeway, that interchange is backed up.

I think the 57S to the 5S is the worst for the same reason.

The 22 E to anything (at the Orange Crush) is FUBAR. They did a horrible job on that rebuild.

The 57S > 22W is completely FUBAR with traffic backed up at least a mile. If you need to get on the 22E from the 57S stay in one of the left 2 lanes until closer to the interchange and you'll be able to slide right in without sitting in the crush of traffic getting on the 22W.

Yep. But going to the 5S gets you the worst of it. Puts you right at the confluence of freeway traffic, transition traffic, traffic merging in from City Drive and Bristol, and traffic trying to exit City Drive and Bristol. Madness.

Depending where you are going you can just avoid it. My office is at Raymond and the 91. At first I was taking the 91E > 57S > 5S and it took me nearly an hour to get home because of the 57/5 interchange. Then I started taking the 91E > 57S > 22E > 55S > 5S and it took me about 45 minutes to get home. Now I take the 91E > 55S > 5S and it takes 20-30 minutes.

I do have to thank Kevy for the tip to take the 5N > 55N > 22W > 57N to get to the Honda Center and that in part got me going the other routes up here.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Fascinating. Thanks!

I agree that switchbacks and height don't automatically make it complicated and dangerous. That one in Bolivia, though - wow. I've seen pictures, and I think that's about as close as I want to get to those kind of roads.

Love that tunnel road!

[3894]

20. The Bear Tooth Highway, Montana

http://www.blueskycabins.com/Beartooth%20Highway%20September%202006.jpg

21. les potholes de Montréal

http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.73.09/pothole.JPG

[Kevy Baby]

21. les potholes de MontréalWhen they are large enough to consume a Great Dane, they cease being called potholes.

[NirvanaMan]

Hmm. I would like to pick the appropriate weapon and conquer all of these within my lifetime.

[Capt Jack]

ditto, although Im thinking one type or vehicle couldnt do the whole circuit justice. the one you'd have to use for namibia or the Lena Highway would be a total waste in Stelvio Pass and vice versa.

[Alex]

Street luge for all of them, even the Montreal one.