The Yungas Road is a cycle route about 60 km long that links the city of La Paz and the Yungas region of Bolivia. It draws about 25,000 tourists per year and is a major La Paz tourist attraction. Many tour operators cater to downhill mountain biking. At least 18 cyclists have died on the road since 1998. The tourist route is a 64 km-long road with 3500 metres of descent.
The route includes the Cotapata–Santa Bárbara section. It replaced the old road, built in 1930. It was considered dangerous because of its steep slopes, narrow single track, lack of guardrails, rain, and fog, and was nicknamed the "Road of Death". However, it was not the most dangerous road in the region. Unlike the rest of the country, traffic was left-hand, to allow the driver to assess the distance of their outer wheel from the edge of the road.
Part of this road were built by Paraguayan prisoners that were captured after Chaco War in 1930s. It was of one of the few routes that connect the Amazon jungle up north, with the city of La Paz.
A new alternative route, now part of Route 3, was built during a 20-year period ending in 2006. The modernization included enlarging the carriageway from one to two lanes; asphalt paving; bridges, drainage, guardrails, and the building of a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassing the most dangerous sections of the original road. As the result, the dangerous road is now only used for bicycles and walking.
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