Trans-Saharan Highway, Algeria

Not only snow-covered routes and mountain roads, but also highways that pass through the deserted areas endanger motorists. The Trans-Sahara Highway links Nigeria and Algeria. It is the Algerian section of the road that is considered to be the most dangerous and troubled. The total length of the track is about 4500 km, much of it passes through the barren desert environments.

More than half of the track is in extremely poor condition, which often causes serious accidents in the desert areas. Regular sandstorms await drivers. Even experienced drivers advise to “ride out a sudden storm” and try to pull the vehicle off the side of the road, so as not to be in the way of other drivers.

Some motorists prefer to travel only in the evening or at night. And all the matter is that it can be extremely hot in the afternoon. The air temperature in the desert usually reaches 50 degrees Celsius. At night, the abnormally high temperature does not interfere with driving. But still this isn’t a trip to be undertaken lightly. No proper lighting there is on the Trans-Sahara Highway, so moving along the trail in the dark is no less dangerous than during a sandstorm. The abundance of accidents on the road has long become a routine occurrence. The highway is of great importance to the local residents. It links a number of important settlements and industrial centres of the two countries. Next - Transfagarasan