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Darién Gap: The Road That Never Was
6 Apr
Summary
- The Darién Gap is a 60-mile jungle separating Panama and Colombia.
- Construction stalled due to terrain, environmental, and health concerns.
- Thousands of migrants traverse the dangerous gap annually.
The Pan-American Highway, a grand vision connecting the Western Hemisphere, faces an insurmountable obstacle in the Darién Gap, a rugged 60-mile stretch of jungle, swamp, and rivers between Panama and Colombia. This undeveloped region has prevented the highway from achieving its goal of continuous travel from Alaska to South America.
Despite early agreements and progress on other segments, the Darién Gap's development stalled due to formidable challenges. These include extremely difficult terrain, significant environmental protection concerns for its biodiverse ecosystems, and the risk of spreading livestock diseases like foot-and-mouth disease between continents.
