Yungas Road

16.290253°S 67.827126°W / -16.290253; -67.827126 (Southern end of the Yungas Road)

In red the cycling section, in green the Bolivian National Route 3

The Yungas Road is a cycle route about 60 km long that links the city of La Paz and the Yungas region of Bolivia. It draws about 25,000 tourists per year[1] and is a major La Paz tourist attraction.[2] Many tour operators cater to downhill mountain biking. At least 18 cyclists have died on the road since 1998.[1] The tourist route is a 64 km-long road with 3500 metres of descent.[3]

The route includes the Cotapata-Santa Bárbara section. It replaced the old road, built in 1930. It was considered dangerous[1] because of its steep slopes, narrow single track, lack of guardrails, rain, and fog, and was nicknamed the "Road of Death". However, it was not the most dangerous road in the region.[4] Unlike the rest of the country, traffic was left-hand, to allow the driver to assess the distance of their outer wheel from the edge of the road.[5]

History

Part of this road were built by Paraguayan prisoners that were captured after Chaco War in 1930s. It was of one of the few routes that connect the Amazon jungle up north, with the city of La Paz.

A new alternative route, now part of Route 3, was built during a 20-year period ending in 2006. The modernization included enlarging the carriageway from one to two lanes; asphalt paving; bridges, drainage, guardrails, and the building of a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassing the most dangerous sections of the original road. As the result, the dangerous road is now only used for bicycles and walking.

Traffic Accidents

Due to the steep slopes, the lack of guardrails, and the narrow width of the road (3 meters in some places), the road was especially dangerous for vehicular traffic. Weather conditions further increased the danger; rain and fog would reduce visibility, while muddy terrain and loose stones could impair traction. It was famous for its dangerous conditions and deaths from traffic accidents, averaging around 209 accidents and 96 deaths per year.[6] In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank dubbed it as the most dangerous road in the world. [7]

In July 1983, a bus fell from the Yungas Road into a canyon, killing more than one hundred passengers in one of the worst road accidents in Bolivia.[8]

Until the mid 1990s, 200 to 300 drivers fell off to the cliff per year.[9]

In 2011, the total number of accidents was around 114, the second most in Bolivia after the road between La Paz and Oruro. Of these accidents, 42 people died.[10]

  • Yungas Road
    Yungas Road
  • The Old Yungas Road before the new road had been opened.
    The Old Yungas Road before the new road had been opened.
  • Tourists downhill mountain biking
    Tourists downhill mountain biking

References
  1. Geoghegan, Tom (16 May 2010). "Cycling the world's most dangerous road". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  2. "Death Road Tours". Bolivia Hop. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. "Death Road / Itinerary". Barracuda Biking. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  4. Villa, Micaela. "Se reducen los accidentes en las carreteras paceñas". La Razón. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  5. Oishimaya Sen Nag (25 April 2017). "North Yungas Road - Bolivia's Most Treacherous Road". worldatlas.com. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  6. Azcui, Mabel (28 December 2006). "La 'carretera de la muerte'". El País Internacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  7. Whitaker, Mark (11 November 2006). "The world's most dangerous road". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  8. "Bolivia: The big drop". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  9. Mora, Maria A. (13 November 2020). "Ciclismo por la Carretera de la Muerte en Bolivia". Universal Traveller (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  10. Villa, Micaela (20 December 2011). "Se reducen los accidentes en las carreteras paceñas". La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 July 2012.
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