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Revolutionary roads

31st October 2013
Page 38
Page 38, 31st October 2013 — Revolutionary roads
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Here's CM's list of the top 10 roads to drive down before you die

1. The Dalton Highway

Built in 1974, this 414-mile highway links the Alaskan city of Fairbanks with the Prudhoe Bay oilfields on the Arctic Ocean. Anyone brave enough to tackle this treacherous road has to deal with temperatures as low as -500, frequent avalanches, appalling road surfaces, frightening gradients and polar bears. But it's worth it for the stunning scenery and the chance of meeting Ice Road Truckers' Lisa Kelly!

2. US Route 163

You've probably never heard of US Route 163 before, but thanks to films like Thelma and Louise, The Eiger Sanction, Stagecoach and Easy Rider, you'll be familiar with the scenery this 64-mile, two-lane blacktop passes through.

Motorists are allowed to take their own vehicles into the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, but be warned that the roads are incredibly rough which is just what rental cars are made for!

3. Grossglocker High Alpine Road

Admittedly, this one isn't great with a 40-tonner, but if anyone ever lends you a supercar, you need to head to Austria. This road, which links Salzburg with the state of Carinthia, consists of 30 miles of hairpins. But check the forecast first, as it climbs to 2,500m and is closed for six months of the year.

Pan-American Highway

The Pan-American Highway links the mainland nations of the Americas and, at 29,800 miles, is officially the world's longest road. It kicks off in Alaska and finishes in Argentina, but be warned that it isn't complete yet thanks to a 54-mile section of swamp and rain forest between Panama and Columbia. There are plans to tear down the forest,

but until then it's a long and difficult walk and swim.

5. The Great Silk Road

The Great Silk Road is a network of trade routes across Asia, connecting east, south and west Asia with the Mediterranean. The 4,000-mile route, which was built in 1,000BC, was used to move silk, spices,

medicines, jewels and slaves. The most famous westerner to complete the entire route was Marco Polo.

6. Trans-Amazonian Highway

Brazil's third-longest highway was supposed to be paved, but they ran out of money. Vast sections are no more than dirt tracks, meaning plenty of dust in the summer months and a quagmire in the winter. You take your life in your hands when you drive this road.

The Yungas Road

TheYungas Road, which links the Amazon rainforest region of Bolivia with the capital La Paz, has quite literally been carved into a cliff face. Extreme drop-offs, single-lane width, frequent fog and unpaved surfaces are a recipe for disaster, and an estimated 200 to 300 people lose their lives on this road every year. For this reason it's been christened El Camino de la Muerte or the Highway of Death. Amazing scenery if you dare to take

your eyes off the road to look at it.

The Sani Pass

Steep inclines and a poor surface make this five-mile track one of the most challenging roads in the world. It navigates the Sani Pass, connecting South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho. Although the South African

authorities at the bottom of the road insist that you make the ascent in a competent 4x4, the Lesotho border control chaps are happy for you to descend in anything including old, clappedout Mercedes-Benz tippers.

9. The A87

While we've got some of the dullest stretches of tarmac in the world (the M11 springs to mind), the UK also has its share of gems. Three that immediately spring to mind are North Yorkshire's Buttertubs Pass, the Llanberis Pass in north Wales and Snake Pass in the Peak District. But our winner is the 99-mile-long A87, which runs west from Invergarry to Uig on the west coast of the Isle of Skye. Scenery doesn't get much better than this.

Nevada State Route 375

There have been so many UFO sightings on this road that it's been christened the Extraterrestrial Highway. Of course, it's just coincidence that it passes within a stone's throw of Area 51 the top-secret military testing ground that doesn't officially exist. Route 375 also has the lowest volume of traffic of any US road.


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