The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England, constructed in 1972, is the most brilliant and at the same time, the most confusing roundabout ever built. The roundabout, named after the popular children's television series by the same name, is located near the County Ground and consists of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle. At first sight, it might appear to confuse or amuse new visitors and certainly baffle tourists but once you understand how the roundabout works you will realize how revolutionary the idea is.
Before the roundabout was built, the area had been a motorist's nightmare which routinely failed to handle the volume of traffic which converged on it from five directions. The British Transport and Road Research Laboratory then came up with a brilliant solution.
All they did was combine two roundabouts in one - the first roundabout sends traffic rotating clockwise and the second roundabout, which revolves inside the first, sends traffic anti-clockwise. Vehicles can enter or exit the inner roundabout using any of the five mini roundabouts placed at appropriate positions. The Magic Roundabout is so efficient that the average Swindonian can find his or her passage through one of the town's busiest junctions with ease even at peak times. Forty years on, the Magic Roundabout still works, despite ever-increasing volumes of traffic.
