TOP-8 unusual and dangerous roads

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In winter, drivers are horrified by the snowy and icy roads. But this is not the most extreme difficulty that motorists can experience. There are deadly tracks that are best avoided by a detour or being extremely focused at the wheel. And these are not always dizzying serpentines, there are wide straight roads in the world, which are no less dangerous than winding ones.

1. Camino a Los Yungas, Bolivia

The road, which runs in the Andes mountain range, was built in the 30s of the XX century, and is known as one of the most difficult tracks in the world. On one side of the narrow, winding serpentine, there are steep mountains, and landslides and rock falls often occur here.

On the other hand, there are steep cliffs, into which it is so easy to fly off without fitting into a sharp turn in conditions of poor visibility due to rain or fog. At the same time, there are no fences or bumpers here. It is not surprising that hundreds of people died on this route every year, which is why it has earned the sad name "Death Road". Today, this route is used much less frequently, as the authorities have built another road, safer.

Cognitive fact:Despite the existence of a redundant, safer and more convenient route, the Death Road is still in demand among locals and travelers. Fans of extreme and dangerous driving flock here. Mostly bikers travel and many tour operators offer mountain biking tours. However, even on two-wheeled vehicles, you need to be extremely careful in order to safely pass the route. 18 cyclists never returned from the trip, adding to the sad statistics of deaths.

2. Ruta Nacional 5, Chile

This road in Chile is one of the sections of the Pan American Highway that links one end of America to the other and passes through 14 countries. At first glance, there is nothing dangerous here, and really - a wide, even canvas, good coverage, no mountains and cliffs. In fact, there are a lot of accidents here due to the uniform landscape. When the same view looms in front of your eyes for three hundred kilometers, it is very easy to lose concentration and fly out of the road at high speed.

3. Paso de los Caracoles, Chile

This road in Chile leads to the border with Argentina and a winding serpentine elevates drivers from an altitude of 800 m to 3200 m above sea level. Translated from Spanish, the name of the track means "Serpentine Route" and when viewed from above it becomes clear why it received such a name. 29 smooth turns seem to follow the path of a snake crawling up the mountain.

There are no barriers along the entire path of the road and the utmost concentration is required from the drivers in order to safely pass the serpentine. In winter, the descent and ascent becomes even more dangerous due to the snow and ice, and in the summer the brakes and the engine are already experiencing heat for durability. Each turn is indicated by a number, and the number 17, which claimed the most lives, is called the "Turn of Death" by drivers.

4. Guoliang Road, China

The road runs through the rocks and connects Guoliang Village with the outside world. Before its construction, it was possible to get to the settlement only along a very difficult path - a narrow, steep staircase carved into the side of the mountain. The inhabitants of the village decided to attach another route and built a road on their own, manually punching a tunnel with hammers and chisels.

The route facilitated transport links, but the tunnel turned out to be very dangerous. The road is narrow and only very compact cars can pass. But the most extreme is open areas and huge openings, which serve as a source of natural light and at the same time - danger, since nothing separates the car from the abyss.

5. Sichuan Tibet Highway, China

The road stretches from Sichuan province to Tibet, connecting the cities of Chengdu and Lhasa. The route opens up beautiful views for travelers: the route runs through high mountains, rivers and lakes, and in some places through forests. The highway is called the most beautiful road in China, but it is fraught with many dangers. Sudden landslides, regular rockfalls, changeable weather, impairing visibility - all this leads to frequent accidents and accidents.

6. Lacets de Montvernier, France

The section of the road between the communes of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and La Chaumbre, 3.4 kilometers long, is strikingly winding. Every 150 m. The strip of the road turns 180 degrees, so that drivers have to look both ways in order to have time to fit into a turn. The track is not easy, but ideal for those who like to ride on breathtaking serpentines and feel the adrenaline rush in their blood.

7. Transfagarasan Highway, Romania

The track passes through the Fagarash mountain range: it pierces the rocks through tunnels, winds along waterfalls and lakes, zigzags serpentine along the slopes. The views are stunning and the highway is called the most picturesque road in Europe. But in addition to beauty, there is also a danger associated with the mountains: the possibility of avalanches, rockfalls, landslides. Because of this, the road is closed for 8 months of the year; you can drive here only from July to October.

8. Dalton Highway, Alaska

The highway connects oil fields off the coast of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska with the rest of the country and ranks among the top most dangerous highways due to isolation and difficult climatic conditions. The route is incompletely paved and most of the year the road is covered with a crust of ice, and fog hangs here in the morning.

At one time, only freight transport drove here, but after 20 years the highway was opened to general traffic. There are no casual travelers on the road: the route is interesting only for people who go to visit relatives or friends who work in the oil fields, and tourists who are fond of the landscapes of the north. For those planning to travel along the Dalton Highway, the authorities strongly recommend stocking up on everything necessary to survive in a sudden car breakdown, as there is a risk that help will not come soon.