You May Want to Explore The Dangerous Road to Ojuela
Ojuela is a small mining ghost town located northeast of the state of Durango, in Mexico. The tortuous road to the town should not be attempted by those who don't know how to reverse.
How long is the road to Ojuela?
Adjacent to the historic village of Mapimí, the road to the ghost town starts off the Carretera Federal 30. It’s 7km (4.3 miles) long and was built with gravel and cobblestone sections. The ride up the mountain, through ancient slopes, is nearly as exciting as any other part of the trip, as the vehicle passes by fascinating desert plants and rock formations. Some parts are so narrow that if two vehicles have to pass each other, one vehicle might have to reverse for anything up to 3 kilometres of winding narrow road to get to a place wide enough to pass.
What's Ojuela bridge?
The town is famous for a bridge, known as Puente de Ojuela, also known as the Mapimi Bridge. It’s one of the world’s most scariest bridges and the most visited structures in this town. It was designed by the same people as the Brooklyn Bridge and is considered one of the most dangerous and mysterious places on the planet. With a length of around 1,000 feet and a height of 327 feet above a ravine, the Puente de Ojuela is a suspension bridge leading to a ghost town. It’s 2 feet wide and steel cables have been added for safety over two towers. Currently this bridge is only used for pedestrians. The bridge connects the ghost town to an abandoned mine. It was completed in 1898 and was restored as a tourist attraction in 1991. At the time of construction, Puente de Ojuela was the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Passing through it gives a feeling of weightlessness, thanks to the open design of the construction and an impressive height.
When was Ojuela abandoned?
Discovered in the year 1598, the Ojuela Mine produced a large quantity of mineral (silver, gold, manganese and zinc) during the last part of the 19th century. In the 20th century, a strong storm destroyed the place, which caused its inhabitants to emigrate to other states, leaving the place totally abandoned. Due to the lack of work, a large part of the population began to leave the town.