Yungas Road

Cycle route in Bolivia

The Yungas Road is a long cycle route that links the city of La Paz and the Yungas region of Bolivia. It draws about 25,000 tourists per year and is a major La Paz tourist attraction. With of descent, many tour operators cater to downhill mountain biking. At least 18 cyclists have died on the road since 1998. The route includes the Cotapata–Santa Bárbara section. It replaced the old road, built in 1930. It was considered dangerous and nicknamed the "Road of Death" because of its steep slopes, narrow single track, lack of guardrails, rain, and fog; Unlike the rest of the country, the road had left hand traffic, which allowed drivers to better gauge the distance between their vehicles and the edge of the road.

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.

Because of 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. In 1995, the Inter American Development Bank dubbed it as the most dangerous road in the world. 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. Until the mid 1990s, 200 to 300 drivers fell off to the cliff per year. 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.