Road to Heaven
China sure has its share of dangerous roads, and the the Road to Heaven, located in south-western China, is one of them. Because for those who aren’t extremely cautious, it is in fact, one of the quickest ways to get to heaven. This cliff-side, nerve-wrecking road, is carved into the side of a steep mountain with overpasses constructed hundreds of feet in the air, with 45 hairpin turns and several astonishingly steep bends.
But on the bright side, if you get too frightened, just take a look at the surrounding luscious greenery, you’ll cam right down. Just don’t keep you eyes off the road.
Colorado 550
Where there is great beauty and mountains, also comes dangerous roads. The road, which is also called the “Million Dollar Highway” is a north-south route that runs through the state of Colorado. Apparently, the road cost a million dollars per mile to build because it runs through the mountains.
The weather on this road is very questionable and can change fast, going from clear skies to storms in a moment’s notice. There are also areas in the road which have a steep drop-off and no rail. So basically, if you’re planning to drive on the road, you must pay attention at all times or you can forget about being able to carry on with your trip.
Karakoram Highway
Also referred to as the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, the Karakoram Highway is anything but friendly. It is full of hazards: landslides, avalanches, floods, animals herds, boarder-less cliffs and, of course, reckless drivers who make matters just that more treacherous. This dangerous road spans more than 810 miles (1,300 kilometers), cutting through the most mountainous region in the world.
Many consider the Karakoram Highway to be the Eighth Wonder of the World because of its marvelous construction under unimaginably rough conditions. At its peak it reaches as high as 15,000 ft. (4572 m) above sea level, making it one of the highest paved roads in the world.
A44, England
The A44 is one of the major roads in the UK that spans from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.
While this road may not seem as dangerous as some of the previous roads we've mentioned; for some odd reason, the A44 has been responsible for so many fatal head-on collisions that eventually the government action was taken and countermeasures were implemented.
Trollstigen, Norway
Trollstigen, also known as “the Troll Ladder" by the locals, is an engineering masterpiece in the midst of blissful natural landscape, which is why it's become the country's most visited tourist road. It may seem like an absolute joy to drive along, but beware, its plague with 11 magnificent hairpin turns, each bend even has its own name.
If you ever take this road you'll notice that some of its parts are actually carved into the mountain itself and in other places, it built in stone. Historically, Trollstigen used to be an famous transport passage between the villages Valldal in Indre Sunnmøre and Åndalsnes in Romsdalen.