We have used roads for centuries to travel and transport things. Rome formed roads to manage its vast empire and they appropriately made famous the phrase “all roads lead directly to Rome.” Roads serve the same purpose presently as a means of communication, transport and travel. This is information on the Earth’s top 5 most fascinating roads.
The 6.5 foot wide Road to Giza is 4,600 years old, giving it the title of the planet’s most ancient paved road. The road was built to cover the 7 and a half mile journey from the rock quarries southwest of Cairo, to the Lake Moeris quay, which then links up with the Nile River. The Ancient Egyptians needed this route to transport massive blocks of basalt.
We have all caught the song lyrics “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road.” You can do exactly that in Tibet and Israel. Semo La is a mountain pass found in central Tibet. Called the Northern Route, it permits frequent bus service and Asian cars transporting supplies to get to the Chang Tang region. At a noteworthy elevation of eighteen thousand feet, Semo La has the highest vehicle-accessible road on Earth.
Now for the low road, we go to Route 90 in Israel. Route 90 goes from the nation’s northern border with Lebanon, to Israel’s most south border with Egypt and the Red Sea. As the road spans across Israel, it passes down across the Jordan River Valley, running next to the west bank of the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on Earth. This makes Israel’s Route 90 the lowest paved route ever made.
Where the Northern Route in Semo La traverses over a mountain, Norway’s European Route 16 tunnels right through one. Norway’s parliament wanted a route to join Oslo and Bergen without the need of a ferry crossing or having to journey over the high mountain passes throughout the winter. They authorized the building of a road that tunnels directly through the mountain. The result is the Lrdal Tunnel. At about 15 miles long, it has the title of being the longest road tunnel on the planet.
At an amazing 29,800 miles, the Pan-American Highway spans from Argentina, through Canada to Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay. Connecting the diversity of fifteen nations in South, Central and North America, the road passes through tropical rain forests and on frozen tundra. Even though it can be blocked off at certain sections on specific seasons, the Pan-American Highway is known as being the longest road ever.
Harold Smith blogs about car brands, tourism, and finance. He resides in California and owns a dealership that sells German cars.