Roads in central Africa are amongst the worst in the world. With a total lack of maintenance and the pressure of heavy summer rains every year, the road conditions greatly restrict the passage of trucks between the major cities and countries of this mesmerising continent. Giant potholes litter the road adding to the bone-jarring journeys. Saying that, the natural jungle roadside scenery is simply stunning.
The worst element on these narrow roads is meeting a truck coming in the opposite direction. Even with precision driving, at times there appears no way that two trucks will be able to proceed on their way, but somehow they always seem to manage. This is the way in this challenging continent.
Other Africa Posts
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Gorillas in the Mist (DR Congo)
Photo of the Week - Mountain Gorillas
The Great Congo River Journey (DR Congo)
The Pink Pageant (Kenya)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Photo of the Week - Two Lane Highway?
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7 comments:
In Zambia, even the sealed roads have massive potholes. This causes a great deal of weaving and swerving. Staying to the left or right has no meaning. This was actually the same on the road between Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia, which is very wide and unsealed but badly potholed.
That's a great picture - I imagine no one was going anywhere that day.
I really like your article and your pctures.
Take care
Chris
I really like your picture, I did not know that the situation of the roads in central Africa is so bad...thanks for sharing
Chris
Yikes. At least on roads that treacherous, they weren't likely to be traveling fast on impact!
@suzanne: We were blocked for hours.
@chris: Thank you
@footsteps: I suspect there are very few high impact accidents!
I stumbled across this old photo and LOVE it. Makes me miss Africa in a weird way!
@sherry: In some ways it epitomises Africa - the will to get things done the restrictions and dificulties.
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