The North Yungas Road is a 38 to 43 mile road (depending on source) leading from La Paz to Coroico, in the Yungas region of Bolivia and is undoubtedly the most dangerous road in the world for motorists.
It is legendary for its extreme danger and in 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank christened it as the "world's most dangerous road". One estimate is that a fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks and 200-300 travellers are killed yearly along the road
The road moreover includes Christian crosses marking many of the spots where such vehicles have fallen. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends up to around 5km, before descending to 1079 ft (330 m), transitioning quickly from cool altiplano terrain to rain forest as it winds through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.
The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners. Because of the extreme dropoffs, single-lane width, and lack of guardrails, the road is extremely dangerous. Further still, rain and fog can make visibility precarious, the road surface muddy, and loosen rocks from the hillsides above.
No comments:
Post a Comment