Old Street Roundabout, London interchange system
Old Street Roundabout is a road junction in the London Borough of Hackney where Old Street, City Road, and Great Eastern Street converge. It sits directly above Old Street station and forms part of the Inner Ring Road that runs around central London.
Old Street itself is one of the oldest roads in East London, used since medieval times as a route leading out of the city. The roundabout was built in the 1960s as part of wider efforts to manage growing traffic across the city.
The name Old Street refers to an ancient road that existed long before the modern city grew around it. Today the area around the junction is known informally as Silicon Roundabout, a nickname that reflects the many technology and creative businesses that have moved into the surrounding streets and converted warehouses nearby.
The junction is directly served by Old Street station on the Northern and Central lines, with several bus stops around the perimeter. Foot traffic is heavy throughout the day, and the pavements around the roundabout can get very crowded during morning and evening commuting hours.
Despite its name, the roundabout does not actually function as a traditional circular junction where vehicles drive around a central island. Most traffic moves straight through in different directions, which makes the layout closer to a standard crossroads than a true roundabout.
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