The Magic Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead is the familiar name given to a complex road junction also known as the Moor End roundabout.

Constructed in the 1970s to reduce the congestion at the original roundabout where seven roads intersected, it was one of the first bi-directional roundabouts to be constructed in the UK. At the junction of each road with the roundabout a mini-roundabout is present and subject to the normal clockwise direction of travel for all traffic. Between these mini-roundabout however traffic is permitted to travel clockwise or anti-clockwise around the larger roundabout, the expectation being that drivers would choose the shorter route with less stationary traffic.

The graphic shows the original roundabout; currently Marlowes ('1') is not connected to the roundabout.

Trivia

When the new junction was first opened, a camera was placed overlooking the roundabout on the roof of the adjacent Kodak HQ building. It was noted many drivers would get 'lost' and make repeated reversals of direction between joining the roundabout and eventually leaving it.

The road labelled '2' is the dual-carriageway St Albans Road and provides the main access to Hemel from the M1 motorway. Shortly after the opening the driver of an articulated lorry failed to understand the new junction so tried to drive straight across the middle. Given that there is a river in the middle, which is not visible from the road, his vehicle got stuck there.

External link

aerial photograph fromMultimap.com