This mountain pass located in the Andes connects Argentina and Chile and has a long series of switchbacks on a steep incline that leads up to the 3-kilometer-long Tunnel of Christ the Redeemer at an elevation of 3,200 meters (10,500 feet). The road experiences rockfall and heavy snowfall during winter.
The Paso Internacional Los Libertadores is the main land transport route from Santiago, the capital city of Chile, and the Argentinian city Mendoza. The Tunnel of Christ the Redeemer was opened in 1980 and was so named because of the four-ton, Christ the Redeemer of Andes statue placed in 1904 at an elevation of 3,832 meters (12,572 feet) near the Uspallata pass.
Though on the Argentinian side, the slope is gentle, it is very steep on the Chilean side with a number of switchbacks. During winters, the pass experiences heavy snowfall, and on September 19, 2013, almost 15,000 people were stranded for 10 hours due to extremely low temperatures and almost 50 centimeters of snowfall. To decrease the dependence on the tunnel and lessen exposure to harsh weather, two other tunnels at a lower altitude were proposed. (source)
7 Karakoram Highway
The highway is one of the highest paved roads in the world connecting China and Pakistan through the Karakoram mountain range which reaches a maximum height of 4,714 meters (15,466 feet) at Khunjerab Pass. Heavy snows, monsoon rains, and landslides often shut down the road for long periods.
Also known as the “KKH,” the “China-Pakistan Friendship Highway,” or the “N-35,” the highway crosses the collision zone of the Eurasian and Indian plates. It is also where Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China are just within 250 kilometers (160 miles) of each other, making it strategically important. Its construction began in 1959. With great difficulty and loss of workforce due to landslides and falls, it was finished and opened in 1979. The road traces one of the routes of the Silk Road.
On January 4, 2010, a massive landslide in Hunza Valley closed the highway and created an entirely new 22-kilometer (14-mile)-long, 100-meter (350-feet)-deep lake called Attabad Lake. Instead of getting drained, the lake increased to 27 kilometers (17 miles) in length by 2011 forcing authorities to construct a revised route around the lake. The lake, now a tourist attraction, is fed by meltwater from surrounding glaciers and is of a brilliant turquoise color during summer and spring. (source)
Advertisements
8 Moki Dugway
The 3-mile road is a steep, unpaved track with 11%-grade switchbacks that were carved into the face of Cedar Mesa, Utah. The road traverses 1,200 feet (366 meters) from the cliff top to the bottom of the Valley of Gods.
The word “moki” or “mokee” comes from the Spanish word “moqui” which was a term used by the 18th-century Spanish settlers to refer to the Pueblo Indians and their extinct culture or their ruins that they found. The Moki Dugway was built in the 1950s to transport ore from the Happy Jack Mine to Halchita near Mexican Hat. Since it’s an 11%-grade road, using vehicles that weigh less than 10,000 pounds and measure less than 28 feet long is recommended. (source)
9 Passo dello Stelvio
At 2,757 meters (9,045 feet) above sea level, Stelvio Pass is the highest, paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps and the second highest in the Alps. It has a total of 75 hairpin turns, 48 of which are on the northern side.
Located in the Ortler Apls, Italy, the pass was originally built between 1820 and 1825 by the Austrian Empire to connect Lombardy, formerly an Austrian province, with the rest of Austria. The road is around 200 meters from the Swiss border and around 75 kilometers from Bolzano the capital city of South Tyrol in northern Italy.
The numerous hairpin turns on the road pose a challenge to motorists, however, they also make for a great racetrack. The road was one of the picks for the “greatest driving road in the world” by Top Gear, the British automotive show. Every last Saturday of August or first Saturday of September, the road is closed to motor traffic to host Stelvio Bike Day when an average 12,000 cyclists ride. (source)
10 Passage du Gois
A natural passage between Beauvoir-sur-Mer and the island of Noirmoutier in France, the 4.125-kilometer long road is flooded twice a day during the high tide making the road dangerous to take.
Also known as “Gôa,” the Passage du Gois is an uneven stone paved causeway that was first used in the 16th century. It is located over the waters of Baie de Bourgneuf or Bay of Bourgneuf, which is part of the Bay of Biscay in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The passage was built as the Bay of Bourgneuf began silting up during the Middle Ages.
When it’s high tide, the road gets submerged under 1.30 to four meters of seawater, and as the water recedes leaving seaweed here and there, the road becomes slippery. An hour and a half before, as well as after the lowest tide, is the only time when the road is safe to travel. (source)
