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"The Road To Death"

Updated: May 29, 2023

Would you like to bike on the most dangerous road in Bolivia? If so, this article is for you. “The road to death” is not meant as metaphorical meaning. The Yungas Road is about 60 km long and links the city of La Paz and Coroico. It is known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world. In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank dubbed Yungas Road the most dangerous in the world, according to the BBC. It is described as the “death road” because of its narrow single track, lack of guardrails, rain, and fog. For this reason, it attracts many tourists every year. For many people, it is one of the most exhilarating activities to carry out. Interestingly, contrary to every other road in the country, vehicles must use the left-hand side as this makes passing safer. In fact, nearly 300 people died on this road every year until 1994.



About its history

It was built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners for protection during the Chaco War, in order to connect La Paz with Yungas and the Amazon. One side of the road is solid rock, and the other falls off into a 600-meter abyss. Most of the road is only 3.5 meters wide, and some sections are unpaved, without guardrails. In 2009, the government constructed a new road by a mountain range close by. The new highway has two lanes and has been well maintained. North Yungas itself now has two driving lanes, new pavement, drainage systems, and guardrails. However, people continue to die there. Furthermore, the panorama is breathtaking there. It is a continuous downward stretch toward the Amazon rainforest. There are a lot of waterfalls, high rocks and, if you aren’t careful, you could be easily taken down by one of them. Now the trail from La Paz to Coroico takes about 4-6 hours to complete. One of the most interesting questions is, “can we still drive the Death Road?”


Despite the construction of a safer new road, some vehicles still use the Death Road as it is the only route that connects certain destinations.


In the end, be careful, and don’t forget to live the moment! See you there. Just kidding (:


Written by Maryam Mammadli

31/08/2022

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