Summary
Getting the entrance to a city right is crucial when designing a city layout in Paradox Interactive’sCities: Skylines 2.In addition to helping traffic flow and the overall productivity of the city as a whole, it will also enable playersto create a hubfrom which all other routes and districts stem. The default roadway will be the Four-Lane Two-Way Highway, so it is wise to build the central structure of the city entrance with this road dimension, while other road types can be used to feed traffic from here into smaller districts.
When designing an entrance, it is important to ensure that the flow of traffic out of the city is facilitated just as much as traffic coming in. Designs can range from very simple to elaborate and complex, so it depends on the player’s requirements and in-game budget; how much money they wish to allocate tobuilding the entrance. Nonetheless, it is arguably the most important part of the city and should be continually upgraded accordingly.
6Dumbell Interchange
Compact Entrance Ideal For Mid-To-Large Cities
TheDumbell Interchange, also known as a ‘Bowtie’ is a type of diamond interchange consisting of two roundabouts on either side of a main highway. This can be especially useful for linking up smaller roads with the main highway, and is ideal for medium-sized cities starting to get a decent production output.
This can be particularly useful for subdividing the city into three districts, with the roundabouts at the center of either Commercial or Residential Zones, while the main highway can lead onto Industrial facilities. Another advantage of this interchange as an entrance is the fact that it leavesplenty of roomfor construction around it, unlike some of the more substantial entrances which take up more room.
5Teardrop Roundabout
Efficient Traffic Flow Using Tunnels and Slip Roads
TheTeardrop Roundaboutdesign utilizes a combination of underground tunnels to facilitate straight-moving traffic, with the addition of slip roads and an elongated roundabout to provide access to small roads leading outward.
This can be particularly useful when expanding a city, since the main roads can provide accessto the established city, while the smaller roads can lead to construction projects or residential districts. The other benefit of using the Teardrop Roundabout is that it takes up barely any more space than a conventional highway.
4Single-Point Interchange
A Neat, Multi-Layered Entrance With Clever Use Of Slip Roads
Despite its name, theSingle-Point Interchangeis deceptively complex and offers a number of convenient routes for traffic to move in all directions. In addition to a flyover and an underpass, the design makes use of long slip roads to ensure that traffic remains flowing steadily from the sides as well as down the main highway.
Though the design is relatively compact consideringthe amount of traffic flow it enables, there are plenty of creative possibilities when it comes to adding further access points to the slip roads. The addition of more overpasses or tunnels can also help to expand this design for larger cities.
3Roundabout Interchange
A Versatile Structure That Can Be Used As An Entrance Or Central Hub
Roundabouts are one of the best ways of ensuring traffic flow remains steady in all directions. TheRoundabout Interchangeentrance makes use of two tunnels and an overpass, as well as a central roundabout and slip roads connecting the main highways in all directions.
This structure is also ideal for use as a city center, and needn’t be limited to the use of just an entrance. The convenient, multi-layered structure can be adapted across several levels and isideal for larger citiesor as central hubs for industrial districts.
2Cloverleaf
An Eccentric Circular Design Suited To Large Cities
Another entrance structure that makes use of roundabouts, four of them in fact, is theCloverleafinterchange design. Using four, looping semi-roundabouts, as well as slip roads to connect the main highways, this structure might be slightly slower than otherswhen it comes to moving traffic, but it is really only meant as a junction for extremely busy highways.
This design is best deployed on larger maps with plenty of room, since it inevitably occupies a hefty amount of space overall. Real-world examples of Cloverleaf interchanges include the Kathipara Cloverleaf in Chennai, India, as well as Europe’s first Cloverleaf in Stockholm, Sweden.
1Four-Level Stack Interchange
A Chaotic Maze Of Highways With A Method To The Madness
Despite being the craziest-looking and having the largest overall footprint in terms of space use, theFour-Level Stack Interchangeisdesigned with speed in mind. The elevated network of slip roads ensures that traffic can continue moving at high speed in all directions, rather than having to slow or move to narrower roads.
Much like the Roundabout Interchange, this design can also be used as a city center, since it offers ideal access in all directions. This is best saved for cities with extremely complex networks of districts, and careful planning will be required to ensure that the interchange is used to maximum efficiency.
