Even rebuilt, the entrance roundabout couldn't handle the traffic heading to the industrial area. Westfield tears it out and builds a highway junction instead: the highway sinks into a cutting, slip lanes peel traffic off, lanes are assigned one by one in Traffic Manager, and turnarounds are banned. Traffic flows much better, though the layout still needs beautifying.
What happens in this episode
The roundabout rebuilt in episode 11 still couldn’t cope. Traffic piled up, some of it wanted to go left, and most of it headed down to the industrial area. A roundabout clearly isn’t the right tool here, so almost everything gets deleted for a highway-style junction.
How it was built
Guide lines and a cutting
Temporary roads act as guide lines to keep everything straight. The plan is to bring the highway below the surface: trees cleared, nodes lowered step by step, and two-lane highway pieces placed until the slope is deep enough. In real life this would be massive roadworks. It took several attempts, including “are you not deep enough?” moments, before the levels matched.
Slip lanes
Once the highway was down and connected, slip lanes went in to peel traffic off early. They aren’t beautiful yet, but they can be beautified later with Move It. Sometimes there’s simply no other way than to get it working first. A one-way highway with sound barriers was downgraded where a slip lane takes over lanes.
Lane management
In Traffic Manager: lanes that only go straight, lanes that only turn right, no lane switching where it isn’t needed, and no turnarounds. Before that, most drivers simply turned around instead of using the slip lane. Parking was banned near the junction because people even parked on the bridge, and a small park went in for low land value.
Still not perfect
Some drivers kept making odd U-turns toward the post sorting facility. A test shortcut was ignored completely, and I wouldn’t have taken it either. The final layout uses four lanes throughout, two-lane highway ramps on both sides and one more round of lane rules. It’s much better than the roundabout, but not pretty, and I worry the traffic just moved further back. I asked viewers for their solutions.
Video chapters
- 00:00Why the roundabout has to go
- 03:30Guide lines and a national road
- 07:26Sinking the highway
- 15:04Levelling and lining up
- 19:23Adding slip lanes
- 30:53Lane management, no turnarounds
- 38:29Smoother, but parking and U-turns
- 45:59Testing a shortcut
- 50:34Four lanes and final lane rules
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
When is a roundabout the wrong choice?
When most traffic wants one direction — here, down to the industrial area. The roundabout couldn't sort that much traffic, so a grade-separated junction with slip lanes worked better.
Why don't drivers use my slip lane?
Often because turnarounds or shortcuts nearby are faster for them. Banning U-turns and assigning lanes in Traffic Manager pushes them onto the slip lane.
Can you tidy up a junction later?
Yes. Get it working first, then straighten and beautify it later with Move It.