# Peanut roundabouts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360 "2024-12-30T22:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/1 "2024-12-30T22:30:59Z")
I’m trying to find where and when the first peanut roundabout was made. For those unfamiliar with them, peanut roundabouts are a two-lobed roundabout that makes a figure-8 pattern. They are not very common, but here’s a list of known peanutabouts: > **[Working list: Peanut roundabouts worldwide](https://panethos.wordpress.com/2024/06/14/working-list-peanut-roundabouts-worldwide/)** > > Following the popularity of the post about “peanutabouts” from earlier this week, our friend and guest post contributor Dan T. (who created the list of roundabouts in the USA and Canada… I’ve looked up all of those on Google StreetView and found there’s only a couple I can’t date: the one in Dartford, England and one in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. The earliest images of those on StreetView are from 2008. But StreetView only goes back to 2007, so those likely were built significantly earlier. And neither one is probably the first. The list is by no means exhaustive of all peanut roundabouts. Anyway, asking here is kind of a long shot. But if anyone knows of a peanut roundabout not on that list, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/2 "2024-12-30T23:06:48Z")
@mixdenny is our resident expert in sleuthing out old images of how stuff used to look. Once you find one of interest he’s probably the best bet on dating it. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/3 "2024-12-31T00:43:31Z")
A precursor might be the big squares (or oblongs) like Place de la Republique in Paris. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/4 "2024-12-31T02:22:04Z")
Interesting. Where’s the one in Kapa’a [is it here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/U7ggfRxNWTnJRrJw5)? Or alternatively the one on the highway, which just has a slight divergence before the roundabout? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/5 "2024-12-31T02:22:06Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > A precursor might be the big squares (or oblongs) like Place de la Republique in Paris Definitely not. Way too old. A peanut roundabout is form a regular modern roundabout. The modern roundabout was only invented in 1966, so the first peanutabout would have been built sometime after that. Probably a fair number of years later. A modern roundabout is a way to have a intersection of roads where the cars don’t necessarily have to come to a complete stop, but (and this is the important part) they are forced to slow down. Previous circular intersections (rotaries) allowed at least some vehicles to go through without slowing down. That turned out to be a bad idea. The thing in roundabouts that slows the cars is to have a fairly small circle where the vehicles are always turning. The older rotaries were large circles where the turn radius wasn’t small enough to force a slowdown. Roundabouts are smaller so do force a slowdown. But what do they do when the roundabout needs to be longer in one direction? For example, to accomodate two nearby intersections. If they put in a racetrack oval with straight sides, cars will speed up on those straight sides. So they put in curves going inward and then outward along those sides and it comes out as a figure-8-ish shape. Anyway, the two that I don’t have a good date for are in Dartford (lat/long 51.43812, 0.25440) and Warrnambool (lat long: -38.37741, 142.47912). Or if someone knows of another old one, probably in either UK or France, let me know about it. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/6 "2024-12-31T02:28:57Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Where’s the one in Kapa’a [is it here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/U7ggfRxNWTnJRrJw5)? Yes. It was only built last year and the StreetView car hasn’t gone through it yet. It shows up in the satellite view, though. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/7 "2024-12-31T03:20:15Z")
Not sure they are exactly “peanut” roundabouts, but I know of two that I have heard referred to as “dogbones”: One in Clarkston, WA and the other in Kennewick, WA. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/8 "2024-12-31T03:44:16Z")
Dogbone (and dumbell) roundabouts are somewhat similar to peanut roundabouts but not identical. Dogbones and dumbells are two full roundabouts connected by a short straight road. The difference is that dogbone roundabouts are in a teardrop shape, so they don’t let the vehicles go in a full circle. When they get to the pointy part, they have to exit to the other roundabout. Dumbells have a full circle roadway. These two types are most commonly found at freeway interchanges with one circle on either side and the short road going over or under the freeway. Checking the map, Clarkston has a dumbell and Kennewick has a dogbone at freeways. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/9 "2024-12-31T07:14:22Z")
The wiki for the Clarkston highway calls it a dogbone. Potato/potatoe I do get the difference between a peanut and the others though. > **[Washington State Route 129](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Route_129)** > > State Route 129 (SR 129) is a state highway in Asotin County, Washington, United States. It travels north–south at the southeastern corner of the state, connecting with Oregon Route 3 (OR 3) at the Oregon state line south of Anatone. The 43-mile (69 km) highway then follows the Snake River, which marks the Idaho state border, north to Clarkston and terminates at U.S. Route 12 (US 12). SR 129 also has a short spur route that connects to a separate intersection with US 12 in Clarkston. > The high... ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/10 "2024-12-31T19:37:37Z")
Thanks, I see it. Brand spickety new. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/11 "2024-12-31T19:50:45Z")
It’s not a peanut (perhaps it’s a ‘snowflake’?!!), but here is: The **Magic Roundabout** in Swindon, England, is a [ring junction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_junction) constructed in 1972 consisting of five [mini-roundabouts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout#Mini-roundabouts) arranged in a circle. In 2009, it was voted the fourth-scariest junction in Britain. [Magic Roundabout (Swindon) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/12 "2024-12-31T20:19:07Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Not sure they are exactly “peanut” roundabouts, but I know of two that I have heard referred to as “dogbones”: One in Clarkston, WA and the other in Kennewick, WA. I live in Moscow. Where’s the one in Clarkston? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/13 "2024-12-31T20:30:12Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I live in Moscow. Where’s the one in Clarkston? Fleshman Way and 5th St, just west of the Southway bridge over the Snake River. Lat/long is 46.3972418,-117.0448136 Paste those numbers into the search field of GoogleMaps or most other mapping software and it’ll take you right there. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/14 "2024-12-31T20:41:32Z")
I gotta say that I don’t really understand the peanut roundabout. I live in Indy, so I’m well-acquainted with them - but I wonder why the middle of the roundabout needs to curve inward. Is it simply about traffic control so that there isn’t a small straightaway to increase speed? (Roundabouts are really numerous in the area - I didn’t particularly love them until somewhat recently. For Christmas, my wife got me a small painting of one from an artist friend of ours. I love it.) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/15 "2024-12-31T20:46:06Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Is it simply about traffic control so that there isn’t a small straightaway to increase speed? Basically, yes. Also cuts down a little on the cost of land, which is often the biggest cost in development. > [@Munch](#): > > Roundabouts are really numerous in the area [Indianapolis] Especially in the northern suburbs, which contain Carmel, the most roundabout-intensive city in the country, possibly the world. But there’s also a bunch in nearby suburbs, not very many in Indianapolis itself. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/16 "2024-12-31T21:03:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > @mixdenny is our resident expert in sleuthing out old images of how stuff used to look. Once you find one of interest he’s probably the best bet on dating it. I can’t find any older aerials or topos at those two places. I’m pretty much a US guy. However I will note that they just opened one near my home on Mill Rd in North Ridgeville, Ohio. It has been in the news a few days ago. Amazingly it is already on that list! I haven’t been there yet but I will try it this week. Local reaction is very positive. The sight lines were terrible in one direction and there had been numerous accidents. > **['It's awesome': Drivers road-test new peanut-shaped roundabout in North...](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/its-awesome-drivers-road-test-new-peanut-shaped-roundabout-in-north-ridgeville)** > > The peanut-shaped roundabout is the first of its kind in Northeast Ohio. It opened Friday morning after several months of construction. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/17 "2024-12-31T22:16:32Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I live in Moscow. Where’s the one in Clarkston? dtilque already provided the details on the Clarkston dogbone. It only went in a couple years ago and I think it is fantastic. We go through there a few times a year on our way to outdoor opportunities to the south. We lived in Moscow for a bit while I worked and took some classes at UI. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/18 "2024-12-31T23:54:12Z")
Castle Hayne, North Carolina at US 117/NC 133 (N. College Rd/Castle Hayne Rd) has one. Its Google aerial view was posted on SDMB by Ignatz several years ago. Ignatz 12/31/2024 ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/19 "2025-01-01T00:45:12Z")
There is an article about the A296 here, describing the history of the road and mentioning the “pinched” roundabout: [A296 - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki](https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A296) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2025, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360/20 "2025-01-01T00:59:19Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > Castle Hayne, North Carolina at US 117/NC 133 (N. College Rd/Castle Hayne Rd) has one. Thanks. That one was built in 2015. > [@hibernicus](#): > > “pinched” roundabout: [A296 - Roader’s Digest: The SABRE Wiki](https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A296) On a different page of that Wiki, it says it was built in 1998. That makes it the earliest I’ve found. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-roundabouts/1012360.md?page=2)