The most impressive roads in the world: from a 26-lane highway in Texas to the "road of death" in Pakistan (36 photos)

Driving along these roads is an incomparable feeling. Some are so dangerous that you will be nervous, while others will give you peace of mind and the most mesmerizing landscapes. But they all have one thing in common - photogenicity, as evidenced by the gallery of images below. Here is the “ice” highway in Canada, and the “road of death” in Bolivia, and the steepest street in Wales.





Katy Freeway, Texas, USA









This toll road in Houston, Texas is the widest highway in the world. In the 1960s it included only 3 stripes, but today it has 26.

A 12-mile stretch of road was widened in 2008 after traffic tripled, leading to 11-hour traffic jams every day, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The project cost $2.8 billion.

A82 from Loch Lomond to Glencoe, Scotland



The section of the A82 from Loch Lomond to Glencoe, which offers stunning views of the Scottish landscape, has been voted the UK's most beautiful driving route.

Tongtian - 99 turns road, China





Tongtian Road passes through Zhangjiajie National Park in China. The name comes from the 99 hairpin bends on the highway on the way to Heaven's Gate Mountain. Tourists can get a bird's eye view of the road from the famous glass platform located at an altitude of 300 m.

Atlantic Road, Norway





The two-lane highway stretches between Molde and Kristiansund and links small islands across the Atlantic Ocean. In summer you can see seals and whales in the waters, and in autumn the road becomes attractive in its own way thanks to heavy rainfalls. The length of the section is only 8.3 km, including 8 bridges. The most interesting among them is Storsezandetsky, also called “drunk”. From a certain angle it resembles a roller coaster.

Outback, Australia







The Australian Outback Highway stretches 2,700 km between Winton, Queensland and Laverton, Western Australia. Consists of seven interconnecting roads, including the Lasseter Highway and the Plenty Highway. Significant sections of the route lie on unpaved roads. When driving through the Australian outback, you will experience a sense of space with endless skies. A bright starry sky is another bonus.

A8 road, Zimbabwe





These photographs show the A8 near Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The highway runs from the city of Bulawayo to the famous waterfall that forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Winter road Tibbitt-Kontwoito, Canada



Most (about 85%) of the winter road Tibbitt - Kontvoito passes over frozen lakes. The road spans nearly 400 km from Lake Tibbitt to Lake Contwoito and was originally built for the Lupine gold mine. In order for heavy trucks to pass along the highway, the ice thickness must be at least 74 cm. The road is open only a few months a year - from January to March. Speed ​​limits range from 10 km/h to 60 km/h.

Fordd Pen Liech, UK





This quiet street in Wales competed with New Zealand for the title of "world's coolest". And she received this title in 2019. The Guinness Book of World Records lists its slope as 37%, 2% more than the previous title holder, Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Panlong Road, China





Panlong Road is a 75 km section on a steep slope. It opened in 2019 to local farmers who call it the "highway in the sky." More than 200 turns await the driver along the way. Its surreal design, reaching an altitude of 4200 m above sea level, attracts tourists and car enthusiasts.

Fredvang Bridges, Lofoten Islands, Norway







The Fv808 road passes through the archipelago in northern Norway. The highlight of the route, surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery, are the two Fredvang Bridges. They are 240 meters long and have a main span of 115 meters and connect four islets.

Road to Fairy Meadows, Pakistan







A World Health Organization road safety report has named the Fairy Meadows road in Pakistan as the second most dangerous road in the world. The steep and bumpy road begins high in the Himalayas and leads to the base of Mount Nanga Parbat. The road soars up almost 2500 m, and its length is 10 km.

Furka, Switzerland



This fabulous location was the location where the film Goldfinger was filmed, the same scene where the vengeful Tilly Masterson chases 007 in an Aston Martin DB5 in her Ford Mustang.

The 150-year-old road connecting the villages of Obergoms and Andermatt deserves a place in the list of the 10 best European roads.

Guoliang Tunnel, China





The Guoliang Road Tunnel is carved into the Taihang Mountains of Henan Province, China. The road was built by local residents and is used for both pedestrians and vehicles, connecting Guoliang Village with the outside world.

Laerdal Tunnel, Norway



Before you is the longest tunnel in the world with a length of 24.5 km. The Laerdal Tunnel is located in Norway and connects the regions of Aurland and Laerdal. It also provides connections between Oslo and Bergen.

Death Road, Bolivia





The Camino Los Yungas is recognized as the most dangerous road in the world. The 69 km long mountain route connects the cities of La Paz and Coroico. The road rises to a height of 4650 meters and includes more than 200 dizzying turns. In 1983, a bus fell into an abyss, killing more than 100 passengers. Until 1994, about 300 people died annually on this road.

Tiznit-Dakhla Highway, Morocco



The Tiznit - Dakhla highway stretches 1055 km from the city of Tiznit to the city of Dakhla in Morocco. This road in the middle of the desert is designed to help businesses and cargo carriers get to the city of Dakhla faster.

Trans-Amazonian Highway, Brazil





The Trans-Amazonian Highway passes through the largest tropical forest in the world - the Amazon. Its paved and unpaved areas are intended to help settle and develop the sparsely populated Amazon River basin.

Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan



The Taroko Gorge Road stretches 118 km from the village of Xincheng on the east coast of the country to the city of Ren'ai in the west. The path is replete with blind turns and narrow paths. Recently, several more tunnels have been created to make the road safer for traffic and provide tourists with the most stunning views.

Karakoram Highway, Pakistan



The Karakoram Highway is the highest international highway in the world, connecting the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, with China. The construction of the road took almost 20 years; it stretched for 800 km through the most inaccessible and rugged terrain in Asia.