Border Roads Organisation's blacktopping feat makes it to Guinness World Records

Director of General Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry on Tuesday received a Guinness World Records certificate for the achievement for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructing and blacktopping the world’s highest motorable road at 19,024 feet at Umlingla Pass in Ladakh.

The official press release said, "On the occasion, DGBR Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry spoke about the challenges faced during the road construction to Umlingla Pass, which he said, tested both the human spirit and efficacy of machines in an extremely tough terrain where temperatures in winters dip to -40 degrees and oxygen levels are 50 percent below normal."  

The BRO provided a black topped road to the important village of Demchok in Eastern Ladakh that will be a boon to the local population of the region as it will enhance the socio-economic conditions and promote tourism in Ladakh. 

Border Roads Organisation in India builds World's Highest Road; higher than Mount Everest Base Camp 

In August, the BRO constructed and black-topped the highest motorable road in the world. The road is situated at a height of 19,300 ft. in Umlingla Pass, Eastern Ladakh. It has created a record in high-altitude road construction. The road constructed by BRO connects the important towns in the Chumar sector of Eastern Ladakh. It offers an alternate direct route connecting Chisumle and Demchok from Leh, which will be immensely beneficial for the local population. It will also enhance the socio-economic condition in the region by promoting tourism in Ladakh.

It is a 52-km long tarmac road through the Umlingla Pass. It was constructed with the purpose of bettering the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to its volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 ft. The BRO tweeted, “𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽...And we reached the last milestone over the Mighty Umling La Pass by constructing the World's Highest motorable road.” The road has been constructed at an altitude higher than the Mount Everest Base Camps with the South Base Camp in Nepal being at an altitude of 17,598 ft, and North Base Camp in Tibet at 16,900 ft. In terms of height, it also stands above the altitude of Siachen Glacier at 17,700 ft. and the Khardung La Pass in Leh which has an altitude of 17,582 ft.