India gets world’s highest motorable road in Eastern Ladakh

India’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the highest motorable road in the world at Umling La Pass in Eastern Ladakh. The road has been constructed at 19,300ft and measures stretches 52km in length. 

• Umling La Pass road takes over  title from Bolivian road connecting to Uturuncu volcano

• New road at greater height than Mount Everest Base Camps

• Connects towns in Chumar sector of Eastern Ladakh

Umling La Pass: world’s highest motorable road

The road at Umling La Pass, at 19,300ft, takes over the title of the highest motorable road. It trumps the road in Bolivia which connects to the Uturuncu volcano, at an altitude of 18,953 ft. Meanwhile, the Khardung La Pass in Leh, which was earlier said to be the highest motorable road, is at an altitude of 17,582 ft. 

The road through Umling La is higher than the Mount Everest Base Camps, with the South Base Camp in Nepal at 17,598 ft above sea level and the North Base Camp in Tibet at 16,900 ft. The new road is even higher than the Siachen Glacier, which is at 17,700 ft.

The new road at Umling La Pass will now connect the towns in Chumar sector of Eastern Ladakh and offer locals an alternate direct route connecting Chisumle and Demchok from Leh. The road is also said to enhance the socio-economic condition in the area and promote tourism in Ladakh.

Constructing the road would have been extremely challenging in this remote area of our country. During the winters, the temperature is said to fall to -40 deg C, while the oxygen level in the air at this altitude is said to be 50 percent lesser than at the sea level. This makes the road at Umling La Pass a remarkable feat of engineering carried out by the Border Roads Organisation.

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