Yungas Road – The Road of Death in Bolivia. The North Yungas Road also known as Grove’s Road, Death Road, or Road of fate is a road leading from La Paz to Coroico, 56 kilometers northeast of La Paz in the Yungas region of Bolivia. In 1995 this is the most dangerous road in the world as per American Development Bank Christened, about 200 to 300 travelers were killed yearly along the road. The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners.
The risky road mentions the cross markings on several points where vehicles have fallen. This dangerous route connects the Yungas region of northern Bolivia to the Captial City. This is one of the few routes that connect the Yungas region of northern Bolivia to the capital city. The road has no guard rails; the width of the single vehicle is only 10 feet making it the scariest road in the world.
The cliffs up to 2,000 feet, make horrible conditions during the rainy season from Nov to Mar. Driver visitiability is hampered during fog and rain and water runoff can turn the road into a horrifying muddy track affecting traction. However, in the summer season, rockfalls are common scenarios and vehicle dust limits the driver visibility.
Moreover, the local road rule specifies that the downhill driver never has the right of way and must move to the outer edge of the road. This rule forces the downhill vehicle to stop and give the way to another vehicle. So, in that way passing can be negotiated safely. Therefore, in the rest of Bolivia, vehicles are essential to drive on the left side of the road, to give the driver a better view of the vehicle’s outside wheel and make passing safer.
The scary road made it a more popular destination, enticing more than 25000 thrill seekers every year. However, motorbiking enthusiasts made it their exclusively favorite road for downhill biking, as 64 kilometers stretch of continuous downhill riding with only one short uphill section. Therefore, tour operators take benefit of it, and cater to this activity, providing guidelines, information, transport, and equipment.
Nevertheless, the “Yungas Road” remains dangerous; about 18 motorcyclists have died on the road since 1998. The Yungas Road has been featured in the BBC show “TOP GEAR” & many other TV programs. However, a Mitsubishi Outlander TV commercial was the first ever filmed on the road.
Therefore, a new alternative route of Yungas Road was updated during the last 20 years or so, including enlarging the carriageway from one to two lanes, constructing asphalt pavement, and building a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassing to the north one of the most dangerous sections of the old “Death Road”.
This new route features modern construction consisting of bridges, drainage, multiple lanes, pavement, guardrails, and many other elements that make it significantly safer than the original route. The original “North Yungas Road” is presently much less used by traffic, even though an increasing number of adventure travelers bike it. A fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks, and 100-200 people perish there every year.
