*WS 141: The Death Highway in Bolivia*
There is this road linking the capital La Paz with a town called Coroico, built by prisoners of war in the 1930s. It is a narrow road but meant for 2-way traffic, even used by big trucks and buses. High steep slopes above, deep ravines below, sharp bends, with no guard rails, unpaved surfaces, poor visibility and slippery on rainy days, which is often – a recipe for fatal accidents. In the 1990s there were over 200 people killed in accidents each year. In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank rated the 80-km road the Most Dangerous Road in the World.
In 2009, when we were in Bolivia, we drove on this Death Highway. Wow, bo-kia-si eh? Actually most part of this Death Highway were no more in “real use”. There is an improved new highway completed 2+ years ago linking La Paz and Coroico. This old road now attracts only foolish tourists like us and the mountain bikers. They are promoting the road as the Death Ride for Bikers.
See the steep and high slopes below and above the road, and eroded sections. Note the narrow road surface in the 3rd photo. The 4th shows a plague commemorating a major accident location. Parts of the new highway are in fact improved sections of the old Death Highway, widened to multiple lanes, asphalt-surfaced, etc. But water still comes onto the road.
It snowed at the highest section in mid-summer. The alpacas and llamas also came out to play. The altitude at this high point is about 4,650 m.
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