Buzz
While most individuals travel on ordinary highways daily, the world is home to some astonishingly designed and imaginative roads, each with its own fascinating tales to share.
10. The Melodic Highway
Speeding is a leading cause of motor accidents, but the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has ingeniously tackled this issue on Route 66. This highway plays the melody of “America the Beautiful” when vehicles drive over it, effectively turning the road into a musical instrument.
The patriotic melody is only audible when drivers maintain a speed of 72 kilometers per hour (45 mph) while crossing the rumble strips on the highway's right side. This innovative feature serves as a speed control mechanism, rewarding drivers with music for adhering to the speed limit. Beyond entertainment, the rumble strips help prevent drowsy driving, another significant cause of accidents. Additionally, the NMDOT hopes that slowing down to enjoy the tune will encourage motorists to appreciate the scenic beauty of the state.
The National Geographic Channel funded the construction as part of their program Crowd Control, which explores human behavior through various experiments.
9. The House in the Middle of the Highway
While most of us can only dream of living in the center of a highway, 67-year-old Luo Baogen and his 65-year-old wife from China experienced it firsthand. The situation arose when the Chinese government planned to build a highway leading to a new railway station. Although all residents of Xiazhangyang were compensated to relocate, Baogen and his wife refused the offer, deeming it insufficient to construct a new home.
Despite their refusal, the government proceeded to construct the highway, leaving the five-story house isolated in the middle of a four-lane road. Chinese law prohibits the forced demolition of private property, resulting in numerous instances of “nail houses.”
Eventually, Luo Baogen and his wife agreed to accept 260,000 yuan ($41,000) in compensation, leading to the demolition of the house. Baogen sought to avoid the media attention that his unusual living situation had attracted.
8. The Highway That Crosses an Active Runway
Gibraltar, a British territory, faces a significant challenge due to its lack of flat terrain, often leading to inconvenient infrastructure designs. The Gibraltar Airport runway intersects directly with the Winston Churchill Avenue Highway, the peninsula's busiest road as it serves as the sole connection between Gibraltar and Spain. This unique setup requires the highway to close with gates and barriers whenever planes land or take off, halting all traffic. Pedestrians on the runway must also clear the path for aircraft.
This overlapping arrangement poses risks for both drivers and aircraft. The airport area is marked with strict warnings, reminding pedestrians and motorists that littering could jeopardize the safety of those onboard flights.
Thankfully, the airport sees limited activity, with only around 30 flights weekly. To address the issue, the Gibraltar government has proposed rerouting the highway to pass beneath the runway. Recent plans include constructing a tunnel to eliminate traffic disruptions, delays, and safety hazards.
7. The Road Featuring the World's Highest Speed Limit
If the typical speed limits on highways feel dull or sluggish to you, the High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base (HSTTH) was designed precisely for thrill-seekers. Here, speeds can reach up to 10 times the speed of sound. A sign along the track boldly displays “Mach 10”—exceeding this limit might earn you accolades rather than a speeding ticket.
Built during the late 1940s and early 1950s, this road isn’t meant for casual drives; it was created for high-velocity experiments. It has played a crucial role in advancing technologies like parachutes, seat belts, and nuclear research. The speed record on this track belongs to John P. Stapp, who reached 1,017 kilometers per hour (632 mph) on the Sonic Wind Rocket Sled 1. The closest anyone has come to breaking the posted limit was mach 8.5, achieved with another rocket sled.
6. The Atlantic Ocean Road
The Atlantic Ocean Road, known as Atlanterhavsveien, is an 8.3-kilometer (5.2 mi) stretch along the western Norwegian coastline. This route features bridges, causeways, viaducts, and scenic viewpoints for travelers. Initially planned as a bridge, the project was later reimagined as a road. Construction began in 1983 and faced numerous challenges, including 12 hurricanes, before its completion in 1989. The project cost 12 million Norwegian krone ($1.5 million) and officially opened on July 7, 1989.
Recognized as a national tourist route and hailed as the “Norwegian construction of the century,” the Atlantic Ocean Road is celebrated for its breathtaking views, attracting motorists and cyclists alike. It even includes designated fishing spots on some of its eight bridges.
5. The World's Tallest Bridge
Completed in 2004, the Millau Viaduct holds the title of the tallest bridge globally. French president Jacques Chirac hailed it as a “marvel of art and architecture.” Designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster and French engineer Michel Virlogeux, the bridge stands 343 meters (1,125 ft) tall and spans 2,460 meters (8,070 ft). It was built to alleviate traffic congestion for travelers journeying from Paris to Barcelona, with construction taking three years to complete.
The project cost around €400 million ($440 million) and was privately funded by Eiffage, the company behind the Eiffel Tower. In exchange, Eiffage is authorized to collect tolls until 2080, or as early as 2044 if the bridge proves highly profitable. As the tallest structure in France, it even surpasses the Eiffel Tower in height. On foggy days, the bridge creates a surreal illusion of floating among the clouds.
4. The Extraterrestrial Highway
Nevada State Highway 375, famously known as the “Extraterrestrial Highway,” stretches 158 kilometers (98 mi) through the deserts of the American Southwest. Its name stems from numerous UFO sightings reported by drivers along the route. The presence of the enigmatic Area 51, located nearby, adds to the intrigue and credibility of these claims.
Reports of UFO sightings along this route began in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until Bob Lazar, an engineer, appeared on television in 1989 claiming to have worked on an alien spacecraft at Area 51 that these claims gained serious attention. Lazar’s revelation sparked widespread curiosity, drawing many to explore the road. Recognizing its tourism potential, the state officially named it the “Extraterrestrial Highway” in a ceremony attended by the lead actors of Independence and executives from Fox Studios.
While UFO sightings are intriguing, they often have logical explanations. The highway runs adjacent to the Nellis Air Force Base, where secret aircraft and missile tests have been conducted since 1950.
3. The World’s Highest Highway
The Karakoram Highway, standing at approximately 5,000 meters (16,000 ft), is the highest paved international road on the planet. Spanning 1,300 kilometers (800 mi), it was built by the Pakistani and Chinese governments to connect Pakistan and China through the Karakoram mountain range. Construction began in the late 1960s, and the highway opened in 1986, providing China with easier access to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. The project was perilous, with an average of one life lost for every mile constructed.
Even after completion, the highway remains hazardous. Travelers have faced terrorist attacks, and the road is often closed due to frequent landslides, some large enough to bury entire villages. Additionally, motorists occasionally encounter snow leopards during their journeys.
2. The Submerged Motorway
Recognized as one of the “seven wonders of modern engineering,” the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a marvel of human ingenuity. Spanning 37 kilometers (23 mi), this route features four artificial islands and two towering steel bridges. However, its most remarkable feature is the two 1.6-kilometer (1 mi) tunnels that plunge beneath the water, making it a unique and initially controversial engineering feat.
The idea for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was conceived in 1956, championed by Lucius J. Kellam Jr., chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission. The project cost nearly $200 million to complete. The U.S. Navy raised concerns about the bridge obstructing their Atlantic fleets’ access to the ocean. To address this, the two underwater tunnels were incorporated into the design. One tunnel is visible at the 9:00 mark in the video above, and the other at 14:15.
Due to its vulnerability to extreme storms and powerful wind gusts, certain vehicles are occasionally prohibited from using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This happens approximately 15–20 times annually, as the winds can be strong enough to sweep vehicles off the road.
1. The Highway Without Vehicles
M-185 on Mackinac Island, Michigan, stands as the sole vehicle-free highway in the United States. This 13.4-kilometer (8.3 mi) route is exclusively used by pedestrians, horses, carriages, and bicycles due to a longstanding ban on cars. The prohibition was introduced in the early 1890s when tourists brought automobiles to the island, disrupting its tranquility with noise and traffic. Outraged residents, including one who famously dubbed cars “mechanical monsters,” pushed for the ban, which was officially enacted in 1898 and remains in place today.
A rare exception to the ban was made for the filming of Somewhere In Time, directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Although cars were permitted on the island during production, the cast and crew were prohibited from driving them except during actual filming.
Even with the rise of electric bikes, the island has maintained its restrictions, citing concerns that they could frighten horses and lead to accidents. Among the few vehicles allowed is a police Jeep, used primarily to assist elderly residents during winter. Snowmobiles are also permitted for transportation in colder months, and children as young as 12 can obtain snowmobile licenses.
Occasionally, minor accidents occur on the highway, often involving tourists who decide to bike while intoxicated.
