World’s longest road is over 100 years old, passes through 14 countries, has no U-turn; Not located in India, China, Middle East, Europe, it connects…
Pan-American Highway: India has some of longest highways in the world that connect distant parts of the country, with National Highway 44 (NH 44) being the longest, with a total length of 4,112 kilometers. But did you know that the world’s longest road is a staggering 30,000 kilometers (about 19,000 miles) in length, and it would take around 2 months to travel from one end to the other even if you cover 500 kilometers per day.
World’s longest road
The Pan-American Highway, which connects North America to the southernmost tip of South America, is recognized as the longest road in the world, traversing through 14 countries, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
The lengthy highway starts from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in the northernmost part of North America, ends in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern tip of South America. Interestingly, the no road in the US or Canada is designated as part of the Pan-American Highway, which officially begins at the US-Mexico border in Nuevo Laredo.
Pan-American Highway has no U-turn
Notably, the Pan-American highway is considered a straight road, and does not have a single U-turn or any sharp turns from beginning to end. According to various estimates, the road is approximately 30,600 kilometers (19,000 miles) in length, making it the longest highway on the planet.
It would roughly take more than 60 days to travel from end of the Pan-American Highway to the other, even if one manages to cover 500 kilometers daily.
Pan-American Highway traverses these countries
The Pan-American Highway traverses through 14 countries of the Americas — Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina– passing through various histories and cultures, making the journey more eventful than the destination itself.
All 14 nations share the responsibility of the maintenance of the Pan-American Highway.
When was the Pan-American Highway built?
The Pan-American Highway was built in the 1920s, with aim to promote tourism across various nations in the Americas. An agreement was signed by the 14 countries, including the US, Canada, and Mexico, in 1937 for developing and maintenance of the crucial highway. The highway was completely opened for traffic in 1960.
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