In Cities Skylines 2, Roundabouts are the circular roads that you can build at the intersection of roads. It provides a better traffic flow and lessens the chances of getting into accidents. In this guide, I will cover how you can unlock and build roundabouts, including some weird ones.
How to unlock larger Roundabouts in Cities Skylines 2
At the beginning of the game, you have access to one roundabout with a small clearing that can be used on two-lane roads. To access this free roundabout, go to the Roads menu and choose the intersection tab. Here, click on the roundabout, and you’ll find four sizes. The smallest one is accessible only.
However, you can quickly get the other three. For that, open the development tree. Above the Advanced Road Services bubble, you’ll spot the Roundabouts bubble. Click on it and use one coin to unlock it. Now, you can use the other three sizes on your roads, too.
How to build Roundabouts
Before building a roundabout, ensure the area around the road is free. This is because once the roundabout is placed, the buildings around it will disappear based on the size. The bigger the size, the more buildings in a tight space will disappear in Cities: Skylines 2.
If the roundabout is placed first and buildings are made second, you’ll notice a space left around it. This space is useless for anything other than landscaping. Plant some trees and use them for aesthetic value.
When building a roundabout, ensure you understand its use and use it only if essential. Once you have a set of roads you want to connect via roundabout, choose the one you want to use. You have two options on what type of roundabout you want.
Pre-Made Roundabouts
Pre-made roundabouts are the ones that are present in the Roundabout tab in The Roads section. Open the intersection section and then click the roundabout icon to access them. They are pre-made and can be placed on the intersections in Cities: Skylines 2.
There are four sizes of Roundabouts, starting from a small one that is best for two-lane roads. The biggest one can have a smooth path for up to five lanes easily so that you can place them based on the size.
Manual Roundabouts
If you want to be more creative, you can build your roundabout. This manual process was made for the first version of Cities Skylines as it didn’t have this feature installed. Some used the mods, but others made this way to form their intersections. Here are the steps you should follow:
- Place a plus sign with equal roads on all four sides.
- Connect the tips of four sides one by one with a curved road. Go from one point to another in a circle connecting points a to b, b to c, etc.
- Once done, remove the middle roads.
This roundabout also works in the same way the other one does. The only thing missing would be the aesthetic lanes that show how the cars would move from one lane to another after the roundabout. You can also add another roundabout inside the first one to make it more useful.
Weird Roundabouts and how to build them
With a basic understanding of how roundabouts work, you can make any complex roundabout. With the flexible dynamics of the game, you can copy any roundabout from the world and make it in Cities Skylines 2. If you like experimenting with these creative takes, here are some ideas you can complete.
Coruña two levels dual roundabout – Spain
Start with two roads from each side of the road. This works best if two roads are on each side. Make sure there is a big difference between both points and then start on the roundabout. Build one roundabout in a close circle.
Then elevate this circle one story above the base. Now, build another circle around the first one with slightly larger proportions. Now, take one road from each side in the same direction. Use elevated highways and connect them both to the upper roundabout.
Do the same with the other two roads, but don’t elevate them and connect them to the lower roundabout.
If you want a perfect copy of the roundabout in real life, you can add one more road to each level, making it a three-way roundabout. The end product would look like a six-corner shape with three roads of the upper roundabout between the three roads of the lower roundabout.
Now, for the last step, make connections to each road and connect them. Do this by connecting lanes so vehicles can move between the roads without entering the roundabout in Cities: Skylines 2.
Będzińska Nerka – Poland
This roundabout is a little more complicated than the first one, solely because the formation is more than just the simple round roads and other roads connected to it. This roundabout is known for its bean-shaped road.
Start with a circle in the middle with four roads connected to it, all at a 90-degree angle to each other. Make these roads split down the middle to make two separate lanes that can later connect in Cities Skylines 2.
Next, to make the bean shape, form the curved road using the middle circle as a guide. Make two lanes on one side and then take both to be connected to the other side, making a bean shape. To make this usable, connect the roads from four sides to the bean shape in split lanes.
Eight roads would be used as all roads need to be split to place them at four spots in pairs. Once all are connected, you’ll have a close enough replica of the famous real-life model.
The Magic Roundabout – Sweden (UK)
Lastly, let’s learn how to make a roundabout with many more roundabouts incorporated into one big space. This confusing large roundabout is in Sweden. Start with a simple roundabout in the middle. Now, make five lanes in it with precisely a 72-degree angle.
This will help in making equal-spaced roads in it. Then, make a roundabout outside all five points using the five evenly spaced roads. Once done, remove the roads inside the first circle.
Now connect all the roundabouts to the middle circle and each other with straight roads. This will make the roundabout in a star shape. Now, make roads on all five sides and split them once they connect to the roundabouts. Once done, you have a roundabout similar to the Magic Roundabout in Sweden.
You can use your imagination to build even beautiful roundabouts in Cities: Skylines 2.
