Adventure along the dangerous Lena River Ice Road

Located in the Republic of Sakha in Russia, the Lena River Ice Road connects the port city of Yakutsk on the west side of the river and Nizhny Bestyakh on the east side. It’s said to be one of the most dangerous roads in the country.

Lena river ice road

How long is the Lena River Ice Road?

Located in the northeastern part of the country, this highway runs 15.6 km (9.69 miles) along the ice of the Lena River, the world’s 11th longest river.

When does the Lena River Ice Road open and close?

It opens each year in late December and operates until the middle of April, bringing vital supplies to remote settlements. This is the only crossing which connects Yakutsk with northern districts. Hundreds of these winter roads are the lifeblood of outlying Siberian communities, yet they are dangerous.

How dangerous is the Lena River Ice Road?

This road is one of the most important and dangerous ice roads in Russia. Each year, dozens of people perish when their cars or trucks fall through cracking or melting ice. Sometimes the crossing doesn’t hold heavily loaded trucks and they go under the ice. Occasionally, there can be icings and the crossing is closed. Much of the year, the river is impassable due to flooding, ice floes, or semi-thawed ice not supporting the weight of vehicles.
Pic: By Natxo Rodriguez from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country (Cruzando el río Lena congelado) [CC BY-SA 2.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons