Roads ▶▷▶▷▶▷▶▷
Sunday, September 16, 2007Roads. Like bones to the body, and nerves to the nerve system, they form the backbone of infrastructure in every civilisation, developed or developing nonetheless.
They are of paramount importance, but yet remain decidedly low key in today's society.
This space aims to challenge and change the perception of roads as "zero-character" tools primarily existing only to facilitate transportation. Many roads have rich historical and cultural backgrounds and are often peppered with interesting sights and sounds. Also, their names often tell of fascinating stories and anecdotal recounts.
Some examples:
The Stilwell Road
An aerial image of the Stilwell Road
Source: Google Images
A long stretch of road leading from the city of Ledo, Assam at north-eastern India, through parts of northern Myanmar at the Pangsau Pass and finally leading into Kunming, China. Built by US General Joseph W. Stilwell (hence the name) to facilitate the transport of military equipment during World War II, the building of the road saw the loss of thousands of human lives. In more recent times, it has caught the attention of some travel writers and journalists, who wish to travel the road, most of which is off limits to unauthorised personnel.
Yungas Road
The winding Yungas Road is a recipe of disaster for many vehicles
Source: Google Images
This mountain road in the Bolivian capital of La Paz is unceremoniously termed "The World's Most Dangerous Road" by organisations like the Inter-American Devlopment Bank and the BBC. This is because of its astonishingly high road fatality rate. On average, one vehicle falls off its precarious edges -- plummeting into the deep ravines -- in two weeks.
In the Singapore context, our roads may not possess the historical grandeur and international prominence of the above-mentioned. However, they are not culturally void hollow vessels . They still present a unique mix of local history, traditions, sights and sounds, waiting to be discovered by the apathetic Singaporean and intrepid foreigner.
Hence, keep checking this space as we present the interesting roads of Singapore. What do the quaint-looking shops at Ann Siang Hills house? How did McNair Road get its name? Is Mount Pleasant Road truly spooked?
This reporter can't wait to get his road trip started. :)
By singaporeroads at 9:28 AM