Photo - Motorists drive on an interchange in Chongqing, China. It has five layers, 20 lanes, and goes in eight different directions.

To a harried motorist, the Huangjuewan flyover is a vision of hell, a mishmash of lanes and ramps that go in eight in directions. But where a driver sees chaos, Fred Dufour sees beauty, even order.

"It's impressive, all the layers, stacked one by one," the Getty photographer says. "From above, it's impressive, too."

He makes a compelling argument. The Huangjuewan opened last month on the outskirts of Chongqing, a sprawling city in southwest China. The highest of the interchange's five levels soars 12 stories overhead, and the 20 lanes send cars this way and that. Getting the best view required standing on the roof of a building perched on a nearby hill.

The labyrinth connects the city, the airport, and an expressway, a project so grand it took eight years to complete. Presumably, it will make traffic flow better for Chongqing's 8 million residents. Dufour said he had no problem navigating the maze, even if many people have taken to social media to express their frustration and confusion. And to anyone who misses a connection or takes the wrong ramp, no worries. One official told People’s Daily Online that motorists will find a turnaround a half-mile ahead to “correct the wrong.” Just keep to that 37-mile-per-hour speed limit. And never, ever look down.



Wired