1 00:00:03,375 --> 00:00:07,584 They were once the most advanced buildings and structures on the planet. 2 00:00:08,667 --> 00:00:12,209 The best achievements in design and construction . 3 00:00:12,667 --> 00:00:18,209 Today they are abandoned, polluted and deadly. 4 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:24,542 These empty buildings are filled with echoes of real people's lost lives, 5 00:00:25,209 --> 00:00:29,250 leaving many questions unanswered and mysteries unresolved. 6 00:00:35,167 --> 00:00:40,876 In this show, we look at the strangest abandoned highways and transport hubs 7 00:00:42,250 --> 00:00:45,667 and we ask: why the survival of Italy during the First World War 8 00:00:45,792 --> 00:00:50,000 depended on a narrow road cut into a narrow rock wall. 9 00:00:55,375 --> 00:00:59,500 The whole highway was built in nine months high in the mountains, 10 00:00:59,667 --> 00:01:05,042 when it was attacked and it saved thousands of lives. 11 00:01:11,417 --> 00:01:16,500 What mistakes led to the construction of the most dilapidated road in all of Britannia? 12 00:01:17,667 --> 00:01:22,209 This shows us very clearly that things can go wrong 13 00:01:22,334 --> 00:01:27,000 and how much they can go wrong and you remember it. 14 00:01:31,626 --> 00:01:34,792 Why is one of the best French tourist attractions 15 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:36,584 too dangerous to visit now? 16 00:01:37,667 --> 00:01:43,083 The builders of Grands Goulets achieved more than they could have imagined. 17 00:01:43,459 --> 00:01:46,334 It was inspiring, it was romantic 18 00:01:46,584 --> 00:01:49,167 and everyone wanted to travel on it. 19 00:01:52,667 --> 00:01:55,584 And how the American businessman won the bet, 20 00:01:55,792 --> 00:01:59,417 building a wooden road in the desert ? 21 00:02:01,417 --> 00:02:06,375 Undertaking such a project requires American insanity 22 00:02:06,584 --> 00:02:10,626 why not? Of course I do, I can handle anything. 23 00:02:10,876 --> 00:02:13,042 Highway through the desert? Yes, why not? 24 00:02:21,417 --> 00:02:23,792 Abandoned Buildings 25 00:02:23,959 --> 00:02:26,542 Highways to Nowhere 26 00:02:35,375 --> 00:02:38,709 We use them every day and take them for granted, 27 00:02:39,584 --> 00:02:42,083 but roads are an important part of our world 28 00:02:42,667 --> 00:02:45,500 for trade, travel and communication. 29 00:02:46,834 --> 00:02:50,542 But sometimes roads are not built just for economic gain 30 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,334 sometimes it is a matter of life and death. 31 00:03:05,959 --> 00:03:10,999 One of Europe's amazing roads saved the country from destruction 32 00:03:11,125 --> 00:03:13,375 and crushing defeat. 33 00:03:14,751 --> 00:03:19,959 Mount Pasubio rises above the Venetian plain in northern Italy . 34 00:03:21,375 --> 00:03:26,042 A network of tunnels and roads runs over and through the vertical slopes of the mountain 35 00:03:26,375 --> 00:03:29,667 and what appears to be only a narrow and dangerous narrow path. 36 00:03:35,959 --> 00:03:39,334 But how did it play an important role in World War I? 37 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:46,167 During the war, of course, things were very dangerous, 38 00:03:46,292 --> 00:03:48,375 you were under enormous pressure. 39 00:03:50,334 --> 00:03:55,292 In times like these, engineers made the impossible possible. 40 00:03:55,542 --> 00:03:59,167 They were attacked from above, they had little time 41 00:03:59,292 --> 00:04:01,667 and it took them nine months to build it. 42 00:04:02,751 --> 00:04:07,042 Things like this make engineers create things very quickly 43 00:04:07,459 --> 00:04:12,459 and to do something that is not usually done in peacetime. 44 00:04:14,375 --> 00:04:19,417 This is an amazing technical achievement that should be taken as such. 45 00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:28,584 Italy did not choose a side until 1915 46 00:04:28,792 --> 00:04:33,709 and entered World War I to fight its rival, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 47 00:04:35,292 --> 00:04:38,250 But its battles were not fought in muddy trenches, 48 00:04:38,999 --> 00:04:42,000 its battles were fought on snowy mountaintops. 49 00:04:44,082 --> 00:04:47,125 Most of Italy's battles during World War I 50 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:50,417 took place in the mountains bordering Austria-Hungary, 51 00:04:50,709 --> 00:04:55,959 it was the so-called "White War", where most of the fighting took place above the snow line. 52 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:59,667 This comes with logistical challenges 53 00:04:59,792 --> 00:05:05,042 and the natural obstacles that mountains present to the movement of troops, 54 00:05:05,167 --> 00:05:08,334 meant that neither side had much to gain. 55 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:14,459 High in the Alps, Italian and Austrian forces were locked in battles of attrition. 56 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,834 Men tried to survive in the barren landscape, 57 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,125 where freezing temperatures and avalanches claimed hundreds of lives. 58 00:05:25,125 --> 00:05:30,584 1916 the Austrians captured the peaks on both sides of Mount Pasubio 59 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,709 and the road leading directly to Venice remained vulnerable. 60 00:05:35,209 --> 00:05:41,082 Dr. Manual Grotto was a member of Italy's elite Alpine Army. 61 00:05:42,667 --> 00:05:46,876 He is an expert in the brutal war above the clouds. 62 00:05:47,334 --> 00:05:52,417 This mountain marks the end of the Venetian plain and the beginning of the Alps. 63 00:05:52,584 --> 00:05:55,459 If the Austrians had broken through the front line here, 64 00:05:55,709 --> 00:05:57,667 they would have spilled over the plain 65 00:05:57,792 --> 00:06:00,042 and gained control of Venice . 66 00:06:01,167 --> 00:06:05,999 In 1916, a combat tanner was worn, 67 00:06:06,083 --> 00:06:08,723 which had been located here and there across the Isonso River in northeastern Italy, 68 00:06:09,626 --> 00:06:14,918 to the Trantino front a little to the west 69 00:06:15,292 --> 00:06:20,500 and the Austrians made the breakthrough known as the Strath Expedition. 70 00:06:20,709 --> 00:06:26,375 As a result, the hills along the plain of Venice became 71 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:29,542 suddenly become vitally and strategically important. 72 00:06:35,584 --> 00:06:37,584 From the mountains near Pasubio 73 00:06:37,876 --> 00:06:41,876 the Austrians had but one way to the summit directly before their eyes. 74 00:06:44,709 --> 00:06:47,334 A million soldiers faced each other. 75 00:06:47,459 --> 00:06:50,626 600,000 Italians and 400,000 Austrians. 76 00:06:50,792 --> 00:06:53,667 The Austrians advanced on this flank 77 00:06:54,292 --> 00:06:57,082 and when they took away that mountain, 78 00:06:57,375 --> 00:07:02,459 they prevented the Italians from using the road leading to the front. 79 00:07:02,876 --> 00:07:06,792 For this reason, a road with 52 tunnels was made. 80 00:07:11,834 --> 00:07:14,751 The Italian commanders faced a question 81 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,042 how to move men and equipment to defend an important mountain, 82 00:07:19,209 --> 00:07:21,459 without getting blown to pieces along the way ? 83 00:07:22,918 --> 00:07:27,792 The only answer was to build a new road through the vertical cliffs of the mountain. 84 00:07:28,459 --> 00:07:34,000 In wartime conditions, engineers can make the impossible possible. 85 00:07:34,626 --> 00:07:37,709 "It can't be done" is not an acceptable answer. 86 00:07:37,999 --> 00:07:41,042 And it is not a mistake or a coincidence that happened in the past 87 00:07:41,209 --> 00:07:45,250 great technological leaps precisely during armed conflicts. 88 00:07:45,459 --> 00:07:48,167 So when it comes to something like a 52-tunnel road, 89 00:07:48,959 --> 00:07:52,167 then maybe it's not as well known as it should be, 90 00:07:52,459 --> 00:07:55,125 it is not taken as the technical achievement that it really is, 91 00:07:55,334 --> 00:07:58,584 given the conditions under which it was made. 92 00:08:00,876 --> 00:08:05,999 With enormous effort, the Italian military engineers were able to build a gravel road, 93 00:08:06,417 --> 00:08:12,000 which zigzagged in terrifying curves over the foot of the Pasubio. 94 00:08:13,667 --> 00:08:16,250 The road was only one truck wide 95 00:08:16,542 --> 00:08:19,918 and a driver losing control of the car faced certain death. 96 00:08:22,292 --> 00:08:26,834 But that wasn't enough. To bring more men and equipment to the top of the mountain, 97 00:08:27,125 --> 00:08:31,167 another road had to be cut through the southern cliffs of Pasubio 98 00:08:31,542 --> 00:08:33,834 and even through the mountain itself. 99 00:08:35,959 --> 00:08:38,959 Engineers divided the road into sections. 100 00:08:39,042 --> 00:08:45,000 Step by step, they connected the road from the beginning at 1200 m 101 00:08:45,125 --> 00:08:47,459 until the end at almost 2000 meters . 102 00:08:49,792 --> 00:08:54,584 The soldiers building the road were former miners 103 00:08:55,375 --> 00:08:58,292 many of them were too old to serve at the front. 104 00:08:58,999 --> 00:09:02,125 They fought the mountain itself. 105 00:09:06,209 --> 00:09:08,834 If the cliff was too steep to cut a sim into, 106 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,083 there was no other option but to dig a tunnel and there were 52 of them in total. 107 00:09:14,542 --> 00:09:17,876 Yes, they were soldiers in name, but they were not fighters, 108 00:09:17,999 --> 00:09:24,167 but still it was a battle zone bombarded by Austrian artillery 109 00:09:24,417 --> 00:09:26,459 and it was precisely because of this that it was necessary to build this road. 110 00:09:26,584 --> 00:09:31,999 However, the logistics task they solved and the danger of this work, 111 00:09:32,083 --> 00:09:35,375 the tools they used to create this road and tunnels, 112 00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:41,334 walking down the road today you can see how dangerous it could have been, 113 00:09:41,459 --> 00:09:46,083 forget about building it if you can't see anything in front of you. 114 00:09:46,334 --> 00:09:50,000 The men who did this deserve extraordinary admiration. 115 00:09:50,167 --> 00:09:54,542 And did they get medals for bravery? No, although you should have. 116 00:09:57,876 --> 00:10:00,918 Italian engineers raced to victory. 117 00:10:01,459 --> 00:10:04,542 Can they get the road ready before the next Austrian attack? 118 00:10:05,959 --> 00:10:08,999 One important device gave them a chance 119 00:10:09,459 --> 00:10:12,292 it was a pneumatic drill. 120 00:10:12,542 --> 00:10:16,334 Pneumatic drills were introduced in the late 19th century 121 00:10:16,584 --> 00:10:22,042 and made the process of road construction and tunneling more efficient. 122 00:10:22,167 --> 00:10:26,667 Before it was physical work. With hammers and chisels 123 00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,375 a rock was carved to throw stones away 124 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:35,000 or make holes to place explosives. 125 00:10:35,876 --> 00:10:39,751 The pneumatic drill has a combined hammer and chisel. 126 00:10:39,876 --> 00:10:44,042 With compressed air, the rock surface can be broken up quite quickly. 127 00:10:46,417 --> 00:10:50,999 You are working on a hillside at an altitude of 600 meters 128 00:10:51,250 --> 00:10:56,834 and you make a narrow path that can fit two mules at a time, 129 00:10:57,042 --> 00:11:01,209 but it was extremely important from the point of view of the war , 130 00:11:01,417 --> 00:11:04,667 because otherwise the country would basically be split in two, 131 00:11:04,792 --> 00:11:09,417 which would have caused a big problem for the military so it had to be done. 132 00:11:10,500 --> 00:11:14,667 And since it had to be done quickly, an air drill helped them do it, 133 00:11:14,792 --> 00:11:18,500 and to do something functionally, but did it quickly. 134 00:11:22,792 --> 00:11:28,083 Drills were used to make holes for the explosive, which removed the rock layers. 135 00:11:32,292 --> 00:11:35,083 Drilled holes can still be seen in the tunnels , 136 00:11:35,709 --> 00:11:38,167 which were later filled with explosives. 137 00:11:38,292 --> 00:11:43,459 The tunnel was built using explosives. 138 00:11:50,626 --> 00:11:55,042 To build a 6.4 kilometer road through Mount Pasubio 139 00:11:55,250 --> 00:11:57,667 it took nine months of constant effort. 140 00:11:59,083 --> 00:12:03,792 To save time, it was made so wide that two mules could fit on it at the same time 141 00:12:04,584 --> 00:12:08,042 and even on the highest section no handrails were placed. 142 00:12:09,209 --> 00:12:14,375 Will the 52-tunnel road save lives or is it too dangerous to use? 143 00:12:15,125 --> 00:12:19,292 The whole highway was built in nine months high in the mountains, 144 00:12:19,459 --> 00:12:25,125 when it was attacked and it saved thousands of lives. 145 00:12:29,792 --> 00:12:34,918 In 1918, the 52 tunnel road served as an important artery, 146 00:12:35,209 --> 00:12:38,626 the Italians were able to beat back the Austrians 147 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,375 and remove the threat to your heartland. 148 00:12:43,334 --> 00:12:47,500 At the end of the war, this unusual road through Pasubio mountain 149 00:12:47,709 --> 00:12:51,999 disappeared over time when rockfalls blocked the tunnels and tracks 150 00:12:53,250 --> 00:12:56,375 and now it is despite great efforts during tunneling 151 00:12:56,667 --> 00:13:00,083 closed to all but the most determined walkers. 152 00:13:01,542 --> 00:13:05,709 But the men who built it left a monument to their efforts, 153 00:13:05,834 --> 00:13:08,292 which changed the course of the war. 154 00:13:10,999 --> 00:13:13,083 Abandoned Buildings 155 00:13:13,292 --> 00:13:15,626 Highways to Nowhere 156 00:13:16,042 --> 00:13:18,292 Abandoned Buildings 157 00:13:18,500 --> 00:13:20,876 Highways to Nowhere 158 00:13:25,834 --> 00:13:29,125 The 52 tunnel road was not the only Alpine road, 159 00:13:29,250 --> 00:13:32,000 which tested the abilities of the engineers. 160 00:13:35,334 --> 00:13:38,167 In the mountains above Grenoble in southern France 161 00:13:38,417 --> 00:13:42,125 another road was carved into the hard rock of the cliff face. 162 00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:46,000 This time the road was not built because of the war, 163 00:13:46,292 --> 00:13:49,083 but to trade with isolated mountain villages. 164 00:13:50,292 --> 00:13:53,083 The name of the road is Grands Goulets 165 00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:56,999 soon became known throughout the country. 166 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,042 But why such an amazing technical achievement 167 00:14:01,167 --> 00:14:03,250 now closed and falling apart? 168 00:14:04,083 --> 00:14:08,626 And how did the engineers develop the extremely dangerous system of road cutting? 169 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:16,542 The builders of Grands Goulets achieved more than they could have imagined. 170 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,125 Man conquers nature in a beautiful way 171 00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:27,167 and Grands Goulets is a beautiful example of this. 172 00:14:27,375 --> 00:14:31,542 You won't see anything like this anywhere else. It is completely unique. 173 00:14:33,542 --> 00:14:38,626 There are valleys and mountains, different materials and outcrops, 174 00:14:38,876 --> 00:14:43,417 there are rivers in the mountains that change direction. 175 00:14:44,417 --> 00:14:48,125 Construction of roads and tunnels through mountain passes 176 00:14:48,292 --> 00:14:50,959 is a difficult and very difficult task. 177 00:14:51,292 --> 00:14:55,626 Grands Goulets were built 150 years ago, before technology 178 00:14:55,999 --> 00:14:58,083 and yet they managed it. 179 00:15:04,834 --> 00:15:10,792 The Vercors Plateau rises above the Rhone River in southern France . 180 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,876 For centuries, steep cliffs separated the plateau from the lowlands 181 00:15:15,999 --> 00:15:18,250 it's a kind of Lost World. 182 00:15:19,167 --> 00:15:23,250 In the mid-19th century, farmers living on the plateau demanded 183 00:15:23,542 --> 00:15:26,918 a highway that would connect them to the markets of the cities below. 184 00:15:28,125 --> 00:15:30,375 But the obstacles were huge. 185 00:15:32,083 --> 00:15:35,375 Surrounded by granite cliffs and ravines. 186 00:15:35,626 --> 00:15:38,292 The Vercours Valley is a natural fortress. 187 00:15:38,751 --> 00:15:42,250 Finding a way through this line of defense was not easy. 188 00:15:46,209 --> 00:15:50,167 Local road workers Pierre Drogue and Jean-Marc Lente 189 00:15:50,375 --> 00:15:55,250 know first hand how difficult and dangerous this project was. 190 00:15:58,083 --> 00:16:01,584 Of course, that was impossible at the time. 191 00:16:01,999 --> 00:16:05,918 In fact, it was the construction project of our turn of the century. 192 00:16:06,125 --> 00:16:08,834 The Vercours Plateau was completely isolated, 193 00:16:08,959 --> 00:16:13,334 they lived in the forest above and traded in Royan below. 194 00:16:13,959 --> 00:16:18,375 The road ensured the movement of goods. 195 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:23,000 People could travel down the mountain on horses or mules. 196 00:16:23,792 --> 00:16:26,918 So it was vital to trade. 197 00:16:34,292 --> 00:16:37,918 In more than a thousand years , Vernaison was a mountain river 198 00:16:38,167 --> 00:16:40,584 cut a narrow channel in the rocks, 199 00:16:42,250 --> 00:16:46,292 but it was not easy to exploit. 200 00:16:48,167 --> 00:16:52,959 The beginning of the Grands Goulets road follows natural erosion, 201 00:16:53,042 --> 00:16:55,375 where the river water had previously passed. 202 00:16:55,542 --> 00:16:58,459 Water always follows the path of least resistance, 203 00:16:58,626 --> 00:17:02,292 so if you go where nature has made its tunnels 204 00:17:02,417 --> 00:17:06,459 and created your own walkthroughs, might be a good idea. 205 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,876 Then you have to think carefully, because if this is the path of least resistance, 206 00:17:10,999 --> 00:17:13,250 so what geology can we find here? 207 00:17:13,375 --> 00:17:16,666 It is difficult to decide whether it is right or wrong to do so. 208 00:17:16,917 --> 00:17:19,209 But there is still a way to go. 209 00:17:23,917 --> 00:17:28,041 A tunnel was built next to the river in 1846, 210 00:17:28,959 --> 00:17:34,083 however, after a few hundred meters, the river changed direction and fell to the bottom of the ice cell. 211 00:17:35,918 --> 00:17:38,709 Now the engineers were faced with another challenge. 212 00:17:39,500 --> 00:17:42,834 They had to build a road in a vertical rock face. 213 00:17:44,375 --> 00:17:47,417 The rock is above you and on one side of you, 214 00:17:47,667 --> 00:17:52,500 then it's a steep drop, it's like a tunnel with an open side. 215 00:17:55,167 --> 00:17:58,999 Engineers have developed a technique that is almost suicidal. 216 00:17:59,999 --> 00:18:02,792 Men descend the rock wall with a rope, 217 00:18:03,125 --> 00:18:06,459 they cut a hole for the explosive, light the fuse 218 00:18:06,751 --> 00:18:09,083 and swing themselves away during the explosion. 219 00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:12,500 It was extremely dangerous work. 220 00:18:16,250 --> 00:18:21,125 Would there have been better ways to do it? Hard to say. 221 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:26,083 It certainly could have been done with hand picks and axes 222 00:18:26,292 --> 00:18:29,375 and of course it would have taken much more time. 223 00:18:29,500 --> 00:18:35,083 They chose a more dangerous and faster way to build the road . 224 00:18:37,334 --> 00:18:40,459 Construction methods used to build the Grands Goulets road 225 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,959 would have made the modern healthcare worker quite sweaty. 226 00:18:45,375 --> 00:18:50,334 Men went to work every day, risking not coming back. 227 00:18:57,876 --> 00:19:00,250 To finish the three kilometer section of Grands Goulets 228 00:19:00,375 --> 00:19:04,375 it took six years of hard work. 229 00:19:06,125 --> 00:19:10,500 But the new road dramatically changed the lives of the inhabitants of the Vercours Plateau. 230 00:19:11,667 --> 00:19:15,334 The road offers breathtaking views and access to the valleys below 231 00:19:15,792 --> 00:19:19,334 made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South of France . 232 00:19:21,999 --> 00:19:26,459 Grands Goulets must have been a trade route from the beginning, 233 00:19:26,584 --> 00:19:30,792 which connects the villages on the hill with the rest of the world. 234 00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:35,876 But as soon as the road was ready and men no longer risked their lives, 235 00:19:35,999 --> 00:19:41,792 hanging ten meters below and planting explosives, 236 00:19:42,209 --> 00:19:46,334 it was something else, it was romantic and inspiring 237 00:19:46,459 --> 00:19:49,334 and people were engrossed in moving on this path. 238 00:19:51,751 --> 00:19:55,292 I wonder if the engineers involved in the construction of the Grands Goulets road knew 239 00:19:55,626 --> 00:20:00,918 that they create a kind of artistic and cultural masterpiece, 240 00:20:01,751 --> 00:20:05,626 but if you look at it now, it's something beautiful. 241 00:20:05,751 --> 00:20:11,375 There is something mystical about it and it has great artistic value 242 00:20:11,792 --> 00:20:14,417 and in my opinion it is one of the beauties of technology. 243 00:20:19,876 --> 00:20:22,999 However, problems soon began with Grands Goulets. 244 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,375 Built so wide that two horse-drawn carriages could fit on it at once, 245 00:20:28,876 --> 00:20:32,209 the road could not accommodate cars, buses and trucks. 246 00:20:33,709 --> 00:20:38,375 Engineers trying to widen the road realized they had made a major mistake. 247 00:20:39,918 --> 00:20:42,459 The road to Grands Goulets is quite narrow 248 00:20:42,959 --> 00:20:45,584 and there is a reason for that. 249 00:20:46,042 --> 00:20:51,125 There are no reinforcements in the tunnels that the road passes through 250 00:20:51,292 --> 00:20:53,709 and your path runs along the mountain side, 251 00:20:53,959 --> 00:20:58,375 so you can only make the road a certain width, 252 00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:01,375 because you do not strengthen the rock above you. 253 00:21:03,751 --> 00:21:05,959 Widening the road would be quite difficult, 254 00:21:06,042 --> 00:21:09,584 they had to think about how to support this rock? 255 00:21:09,959 --> 00:21:13,542 And it can be extremely difficult, especially at the time 256 00:21:13,667 --> 00:21:18,250 it was difficult to deliver materials to support the rock wall , 257 00:21:18,375 --> 00:21:21,500 then you should have built a pretty decent tunnel, 258 00:21:21,709 --> 00:21:25,584 but that was not quite what they were trying to achieve. 259 00:21:32,459 --> 00:21:36,000 Years passed and faster and bigger cars 260 00:21:36,125 --> 00:21:38,667 turned the curves of the tunnel into death traps. 261 00:21:40,459 --> 00:21:43,667 in 2000 and in 2005 262 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,334 nature itself played its role. 263 00:21:47,334 --> 00:21:50,500 Whole rock wall sections fell down onto the road. 264 00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:03,417 In 2000 and 2005 265 00:22:03,751 --> 00:22:06,918 there were large rockfalls in Grand Goulets . 266 00:22:07,918 --> 00:22:11,667 The first of these took place to our left 267 00:22:12,167 --> 00:22:14,542 and 2005. another one was happening right here above our heads. 268 00:22:20,209 --> 00:22:23,834 150 years later, in 2005, 269 00:22:24,334 --> 00:22:27,000 a decision was made to close the road. 270 00:22:28,459 --> 00:22:31,626 Maybe closing the road isn't the only solution. 271 00:22:32,292 --> 00:22:37,834 Maybe the cliffs could be secured and rockfalls could be ruled out, 272 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,751 but for that the whole area should be cleaned, 273 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,876 something quite different should be done to avoid the element of risk 274 00:22:46,999 --> 00:22:51,792 and the inherent beauty of that path would disappear. 275 00:22:52,125 --> 00:22:55,834 So I think the road will remain closed 276 00:22:56,209 --> 00:22:59,626 and i'm sad because i like going there 277 00:22:59,751 --> 00:23:02,083 but i'm afraid because it's not safe. 278 00:23:02,709 --> 00:23:04,792 Abandoned Buildings 279 00:23:04,999 --> 00:23:06,999 Highways to Nowhere 280 00:23:07,083 --> 00:23:09,250 Abandoned Buildings 281 00:23:09,918 --> 00:23:11,876 Highways to Nowhere 282 00:23:16,709 --> 00:23:22,000 Building roads and communication lines can be easy from a technical point of view, 283 00:23:22,626 --> 00:23:27,959 but a hillside road in Derbyshire, northern England 284 00:23:28,459 --> 00:23:31,500 is the most dilapidated road in the British Isles . 285 00:23:35,167 --> 00:23:38,292 Mam Tor Road was built in the 19th century, 286 00:23:38,751 --> 00:23:42,250 but today it looks as if it was torn apart by an earthquake. 287 00:23:43,459 --> 00:23:47,999 So what happened to Judinate tea, as it came to be known? 288 00:23:49,792 --> 00:23:54,584 I don't know how advanced the geology was when Mam Tor was built. 289 00:23:54,834 --> 00:23:58,999 However, as you can see, a landslide has occurred here. 290 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,542 This shows us very clearly that things can go wrong 291 00:24:04,667 --> 00:24:09,417 and how much they can go wrong and you remember it. 292 00:24:13,667 --> 00:24:18,584 Mam Tor's story begins with Britannia's first global conflict, 293 00:24:19,334 --> 00:24:21,584 of the Napoleonic War. 294 00:24:22,918 --> 00:24:28,334 1809 was a time when the result was very balanced 295 00:24:28,459 --> 00:24:32,292 and Britannia's role was merely to supply soldiers, 296 00:24:32,417 --> 00:24:36,417 although the number of soldiers to be sent increased steadily - 297 00:24:36,667 --> 00:24:40,999 it was a veritable industrial powerhouse the alliance's cash reserve, 298 00:24:41,083 --> 00:24:46,999 who fought for life and death against Napoleon 299 00:24:47,334 --> 00:24:51,125 and thus would have burdened communities like Castleton, 300 00:24:51,375 --> 00:24:55,751 which had their goods as quickly and efficiently as possible 301 00:24:55,876 --> 00:24:59,542 ship to nearby markets to feed this industrial powerhouse. 302 00:24:59,667 --> 00:25:05,334 The construction of this road was directly related to the war effort. 303 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:14,042 In 1819, road builders started building the road. 304 00:25:14,167 --> 00:25:17,125 From the small town of Castletown to the city of Sheffield. 305 00:25:17,792 --> 00:25:20,417 Business interests made the new road important. 306 00:25:23,999 --> 00:25:26,584 The Industrial Revolution took place in Great Britain 307 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:32,709 and industries arose all over the country, but this industry needed, 308 00:25:32,834 --> 00:25:36,834 for goods and materials to move in and out. 309 00:25:36,999 --> 00:25:40,209 Transport networks were crucial. 310 00:25:40,918 --> 00:25:45,500 So without new roads, railways and canals, 311 00:25:45,626 --> 00:25:50,834 and this great network united the whole country into one country, 312 00:25:51,125 --> 00:25:54,083 the industrial revolution simply wouldn't have happened. 313 00:25:54,751 --> 00:26:00,542 They were the life-pumping veins and arteries of the Industrial Revolution. 314 00:26:00,999 --> 00:26:03,167 One would not have been possible without the other. 315 00:26:06,167 --> 00:26:08,083 But there was one problem. 316 00:26:08,209 --> 00:26:12,125 Castleton was separated from Sheffield by steep hills. 317 00:26:13,667 --> 00:26:16,500 If the road went up a steep hill, 318 00:26:16,751 --> 00:26:20,292 it would have been unusable for horse-drawn carriages of the time. 319 00:26:21,626 --> 00:26:25,500 It has some limits if from a steep road 320 00:26:25,792 --> 00:26:30,584 a horse can be made to lift a heavy load. 321 00:26:31,292 --> 00:26:36,709 Mam Tor was chosen as the route because of the terrain conditions 322 00:26:36,876 --> 00:26:39,209 the slope was much smaller there, 323 00:26:39,334 --> 00:26:44,792 so they could zigzag up without making too steep a path. 324 00:26:44,918 --> 00:26:47,834 It was the road that the horses got up, 325 00:26:47,999 --> 00:26:51,709 but they knew nothing of the geology of the place, 326 00:26:51,876 --> 00:26:54,334 it was probably the worst place to build a road . 327 00:26:58,375 --> 00:27:01,918 So what did the builders do about the slope problem? 328 00:27:03,167 --> 00:27:09,292 The new road was routed over the slope of the 518-meter Mam Tor hill. 329 00:27:10,834 --> 00:27:15,000 The slope of the slope made it possible to build a road with gentle curves. 330 00:27:15,792 --> 00:27:19,959 However, the slope could have hinted at a major flaw in their planning. 331 00:27:20,792 --> 00:27:25,751 The road planners did not understand the underlying geology of the area, 332 00:27:26,209 --> 00:27:29,042 which is an important factor in the planning of road networks today . 333 00:27:29,709 --> 00:27:32,792 Understanding geology is so important, 334 00:27:32,959 --> 00:27:35,959 because your road surface can be really hard, 335 00:27:36,042 --> 00:27:40,167 but if its foundation is weak and unfit for the purpose, 336 00:27:40,292 --> 00:27:43,459 then this strong tea is of no use. 337 00:27:44,959 --> 00:27:49,459 Even for today's road builders , the most important factors are 338 00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:51,584 geology and environment of the future road location . 339 00:27:51,709 --> 00:27:55,834 It is necessary to know how to deal with the existing geology and environment, 340 00:27:55,959 --> 00:28:00,000 to get a nice and solid path that stays in place. 341 00:28:04,334 --> 00:28:07,459 Locals call Mam Tor the Judisevas mountain 342 00:28:08,125 --> 00:28:12,459 and this gives an idea of ​​the fact that the hill is situated on a layer of slate. 343 00:28:14,709 --> 00:28:18,792 A kilometer from the road is a scar left by an old landslide 344 00:28:19,709 --> 00:28:23,125 although Mam Tor appears to be solid, the slate beneath it means, 345 00:28:23,334 --> 00:28:28,125 that one slope is in constant motion - especially during periods of heavy rains. 346 00:28:29,542 --> 00:28:33,083 The entire hillside moves slowly towards Castleton 347 00:28:33,292 --> 00:28:35,999 at a rate of a quarter of a meter per year. 348 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,500 The road is built on a layer of sandstone, 349 00:28:41,959 --> 00:28:43,959 but below that is a layer of shale. 350 00:28:44,042 --> 00:28:48,209 Slate is extremely unstable, especially in winter, 351 00:28:48,542 --> 00:28:53,167 when it rains that seeps through the sandstone 352 00:28:53,334 --> 00:28:58,125 and makes this shale layer almost liquid. 353 00:28:58,334 --> 00:29:01,125 So that was a critical factor for Mam Tor. 354 00:29:08,125 --> 00:29:12,209 As the surface of the hill continued to move, 355 00:29:12,584 --> 00:29:15,042 Mam Tor's road soon began to crumble. 356 00:29:17,459 --> 00:29:20,792 In the 19th century, the road was repaired in a very simple way, 357 00:29:21,792 --> 00:29:25,918 but when the road surface was covered with bitumen, it became much more difficult. 358 00:29:27,292 --> 00:29:31,709 The use of bitumen made it easier to improve the road surface, 359 00:29:31,834 --> 00:29:36,459 because stones can be mixed with sticky bitumen 360 00:29:36,667 --> 00:29:38,999 and create a beautiful strong surface. 361 00:29:39,167 --> 00:29:44,792 The problem, however, is that the foundation of the road just slides away. 362 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,918 So it doesn't matter how good the road surface is: 363 00:29:48,083 --> 00:29:51,500 if the base is not strong enough, the top will not last very long. 364 00:29:55,417 --> 00:29:59,751 Even with the new road surface , the slope continued to move. 365 00:30:01,083 --> 00:30:06,000 Over time, several attempts were made to prevent it from sliding away on the road. 366 00:30:06,167 --> 00:30:08,959 The biggest test took place in 1949. 367 00:30:09,042 --> 00:30:14,083 There was a big slide and then they dug further into the hill 368 00:30:14,209 --> 00:30:16,876 and put on the lower part of the road 369 00:30:17,042 --> 00:30:20,876 a road covered with limestone was built. 370 00:30:21,417 --> 00:30:26,209 This made matters worse as they cut deeper into the geology, 371 00:30:26,334 --> 00:30:29,500 which caused even more slippage, 372 00:30:29,626 --> 00:30:32,667 in addition, the road surface was made too difficult. 373 00:30:32,834 --> 00:30:37,834 After that, all the stuff started moving at an unprecedented speed. 374 00:30:38,584 --> 00:30:43,083 As the outer edge became heavier, even more sliding occurred. 375 00:30:43,209 --> 00:30:48,209 It's like hanging a weight on the wrong side of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 376 00:30:48,417 --> 00:30:51,459 It falls over. They contributed to it. 377 00:30:51,626 --> 00:30:55,042 If they knew what we know now, they wouldn't have done it. 378 00:30:59,334 --> 00:31:04,667 Finally , the patience of the local authorities was broken due to continuous landslides. 379 00:31:05,876 --> 00:31:10,459 In 1979, Mam Tor Road was closed to all traffic. 380 00:31:11,999 --> 00:31:17,209 The road was abandoned because it was almost unusable. 381 00:31:17,375 --> 00:31:21,542 A balance must be found between the cost of building a new road 382 00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:24,834 and completely abandon what is and what has been destroyed 383 00:31:25,042 --> 00:31:28,000 and how much will it cost to repair the original road? 384 00:31:28,417 --> 00:31:31,250 And if the new road is cheaper 385 00:31:31,375 --> 00:31:35,292 and better for the environment than repairing an old road, 386 00:31:35,542 --> 00:31:37,667 then you have to choose a new path. 387 00:31:37,876 --> 00:31:40,000 But there comes a time when you have to say: 388 00:31:40,125 --> 00:31:44,125 "That's enough - nature defeated us. Let's close." 389 00:31:44,459 --> 00:31:46,542 Abandoned Buildings 390 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,959 Highways to Nowhere 391 00:31:49,083 --> 00:31:51,125 Abandoned Buildings 392 00:31:51,959 --> 00:31:53,918 Highways to Nowhere 393 00:31:55,417 --> 00:31:58,918 An unstable foundation can be an obstacle for road builders, 394 00:31:59,542 --> 00:32:04,375 but matters are even more complicated when the entire soil is in motion. 395 00:32:05,918 --> 00:32:10,667 One of the most unusual highways built on sandy terrain, 396 00:32:11,250 --> 00:32:14,876 which constantly threatened to bury the greatest efforts of engineers. 397 00:32:15,584 --> 00:32:17,834 And all because of a bet. 398 00:32:18,792 --> 00:32:24,250 The "Old Boardwalk" is an 11-kilometer stretch in San Diego, California 399 00:32:24,626 --> 00:32:28,584 and Phoenix, Arizona across rugged desert terrain. 400 00:32:29,999 --> 00:32:34,250 But how was it done and has the achievement stood the test of time? 401 00:32:35,626 --> 00:32:38,751 There was no road in this desert for a reason. 402 00:32:39,125 --> 00:32:42,167 Highways and deserts don't mix. 403 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,709 Deserts are extremely dynamic landscapes 404 00:32:46,834 --> 00:32:49,375 there is wind in the desert, there are sand dunes in the desert 405 00:32:49,584 --> 00:32:53,918 and interacting with each other , they completely change the surface of the earth. 406 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,667 Things move, get higher and lower, 407 00:32:56,834 --> 00:33:00,584 so building a road there seems like a crazy thing to do. 408 00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:05,500 When it comes to Laudtee, the simplest idea is the best idea. 409 00:33:05,751 --> 00:33:09,000 We are dealing with fast moving and changing sand 410 00:33:09,125 --> 00:33:11,918 this is the surface on which they tried to build a road. 411 00:33:12,292 --> 00:33:16,375 The road is something fixed, something that doesn't move, 412 00:33:17,083 --> 00:33:21,334 however, the sand is constantly moving and they needed something flexible. 413 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:26,876 The idea is simple, and perhaps because of its simplicity it worked. 414 00:33:31,876 --> 00:33:37,417 1912 Los Angeles became the terminus of the trans-American railroad. 415 00:33:38,584 --> 00:33:41,459 But with no highways to connect it to the east, 416 00:33:41,626 --> 00:33:45,500 nearby San Diego was becoming an economic sinkhole, 417 00:33:45,834 --> 00:33:49,500 which was prevented from expanding by a desert considered impassable. 418 00:33:52,417 --> 00:33:57,250 One local businessman decided to stop ignoring the city. 419 00:33:58,209 --> 00:34:01,250 His name was Ed Fletcher and he insisted on 420 00:34:01,626 --> 00:34:05,584 for the Southern California Highway to use San Diego as its stopover. 421 00:34:07,125 --> 00:34:12,250 As a result, Fletcher was challenged to participate in a rally, 422 00:34:12,375 --> 00:34:17,333 to see which city has the fastest connection to Phoenix, the capital of Arizona. 423 00:34:19,500 --> 00:34:23,583 He gave Los Angeles newspaper reporters a 24-hour head start. 424 00:34:24,998 --> 00:34:28,292 And incredibly, Fletcher arrived in Phoenix first, 425 00:34:28,458 --> 00:34:30,751 in just nineteen and a half hours. 426 00:34:32,500 --> 00:34:36,208 Ed Fletcher is one of America 's greatest unsung heroes. 427 00:34:36,542 --> 00:34:40,833 He takes initiative, sees a challenge and overcomes it. 428 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,708 Let's build the right road in the desert. 429 00:34:43,833 --> 00:34:48,083 Really? How? Of wooden planks, is that a good idea? And he does. 430 00:34:48,292 --> 00:34:51,626 People think California is full of evil, 431 00:34:51,751 --> 00:34:55,708 perhaps it has always been this way, but the effort must be appreciated. 432 00:34:56,876 --> 00:35:02,000 Undertaking such a project requires American insanity 433 00:35:02,125 --> 00:35:06,083 why not? Of course I do, I can handle anything. 434 00:35:06,292 --> 00:35:08,667 Highway through the desert? Yes, why not? 435 00:35:16,918 --> 00:35:18,918 Although he won that bet, 436 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,959 how did Fletcher turn San Diego into a traffic hub? 437 00:35:23,626 --> 00:35:27,542 He brought 13,000 wooden planks 438 00:35:27,959 --> 00:35:31,167 and built an 11-kilometer boardwalk through the desert . 439 00:35:33,125 --> 00:35:35,709 Planks were laid out in the desert for a highway, 440 00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:41,500 I would have come up with such a solution when I was seven years old. 441 00:35:41,918 --> 00:35:45,250 But the fact that they did it 442 00:35:45,375 --> 00:35:49,626 13,000 sawn boards were laid side by side, 443 00:35:49,751 --> 00:35:52,375 to that one could say that it is not possible. 444 00:35:52,626 --> 00:35:54,626 Anything was possible for Ed Fletcher . 445 00:35:56,626 --> 00:35:59,709 It makes you wonder where he got his idea from, 446 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:04,500 because until then most of the boardwalks were built for the military. 447 00:36:04,709 --> 00:36:10,542 We know that during the US Civil War many railroads were built 448 00:36:10,667 --> 00:36:14,459 and during World War I, when this road was built, 449 00:36:14,876 --> 00:36:20,626 armies of all countries built temporary roads in the Ypres Salient. 450 00:36:20,751 --> 00:36:26,167 He probably knew it, but his path was not temporary. 451 00:36:26,375 --> 00:36:30,167 The road was built to last and it is quite unusual to think, 452 00:36:30,292 --> 00:36:35,000 that this relatively simple structure 453 00:36:35,334 --> 00:36:38,584 must have lasted more than a year or two. 454 00:36:43,459 --> 00:36:47,500 Amazingly, Fletcher's improvised tea was so successful, 455 00:36:47,792 --> 00:36:52,459 that in 1915 it was connected to the California state highway system. 456 00:36:54,167 --> 00:36:56,375 If I had taken the card at the time 457 00:36:56,500 --> 00:37:01,042 and used it to go to San Diego and I would have gone via the Boardwalk 458 00:37:01,626 --> 00:37:06,918 and I would have seen the sawn boards of which the road is made, 459 00:37:07,334 --> 00:37:11,209 then I would have been very shocked. You don't expect anything like that. 460 00:37:12,959 --> 00:37:17,250 It is quite strange and rather surprising to me, 461 00:37:17,459 --> 00:37:22,042 two wooden planks in this moving sand desert 462 00:37:22,375 --> 00:37:27,876 can be part of a highway. There's a lot to learn from it, 463 00:37:27,999 --> 00:37:32,000 as engineering solutions can sometimes be very simple, 464 00:37:32,459 --> 00:37:34,584 but it seems a bit crazy to me . 465 00:37:38,709 --> 00:37:42,209 The boardwalk was in continuous use for ten years 466 00:37:42,834 --> 00:37:45,999 not only by local traffic, but also by tourists, 467 00:37:46,083 --> 00:37:49,334 who came to enjoy an amazingly rocking ride through the desert. 468 00:37:51,542 --> 00:37:55,709 Fletcher's Laudtee became successful because of its novelty, 469 00:37:55,834 --> 00:37:59,792 it's off the beaten path, it's an adventure. 470 00:37:59,918 --> 00:38:04,500 People want to ride it, they want to experience it. 471 00:38:04,626 --> 00:38:07,125 These are people who seek excitement, 472 00:38:07,250 --> 00:38:11,000 people who boast of having been on the boardwalk 473 00:38:11,167 --> 00:38:13,167 and everyone wants to do it. 474 00:38:16,292 --> 00:38:20,751 Fletcher proved he can do it and there is still a way to go. 475 00:38:21,542 --> 00:38:26,584 He even improved his two-plank design with a solid wood surface. 476 00:38:26,876 --> 00:38:32,918 I love the iterative process of constructors and engineers here 477 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,918 from two parallel tables on which car wheels can be set 478 00:38:38,042 --> 00:38:40,792 until the continued planking, 479 00:38:40,918 --> 00:38:44,792 which is set before you as a more monolithic structure. 480 00:38:45,250 --> 00:38:50,417 The strong surface is a step forward compared to two planks, 481 00:38:50,542 --> 00:38:53,125 but at the end of the day it's still the same problem, 482 00:38:53,250 --> 00:38:56,751 that the landscape changes very dramatically in a matter of hours , 483 00:38:56,876 --> 00:39:00,209 so we have to understand what we are dealing with 484 00:39:00,334 --> 00:39:05,000 how much wind is there, how much is the sand moving? Which is better, which is worse? 485 00:39:05,125 --> 00:39:08,709 And once we understand what we're dealing with, 486 00:39:08,834 --> 00:39:12,999 then we will find the right answer to the question. I think that makes sense. 487 00:39:13,876 --> 00:39:18,584 In 1926, the correct solution was to replace wooden planks 488 00:39:18,709 --> 00:39:23,083 with a professional asphalt coating installed on a sandy slope. 489 00:39:23,834 --> 00:39:26,709 The quicksand was analyzed and found out, 490 00:39:26,834 --> 00:39:29,792 that the sand moved more when it was lower, 491 00:39:29,918 --> 00:39:34,792 anything lifted up was less affected by the quicksand 492 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:39,000 and when a more permanent asphalt road was made, 493 00:39:39,375 --> 00:39:42,918 then it was made on a raised slope. 494 00:39:43,125 --> 00:39:46,375 The same original Laudtee 495 00:39:46,751 --> 00:39:49,334 was located below where the sand is more mobile. 496 00:39:55,626 --> 00:39:58,250 When the new asphalt road was completed, 497 00:39:58,500 --> 00:40:00,876 the old boardwalk was abandoned in the wilderness. 498 00:40:01,876 --> 00:40:04,042 It gradually disappeared under the sand 499 00:40:04,375 --> 00:40:07,000 and was torn down by looters who coveted its timber. 500 00:40:08,626 --> 00:40:12,999 Ed Fletcher showed what a little imagination can do 501 00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:15,792 and with a great deal of determination. 502 00:40:19,250 --> 00:40:22,417 Roads can pose great challenges for engineers, 503 00:40:22,876 --> 00:40:26,375 especially when the terrain adds construction challenges. 504 00:40:27,709 --> 00:40:33,417 The efforts of the engineers who created the Grands Goulets road in the 19th century 505 00:40:33,792 --> 00:40:36,709 ended in collapse and death in 2005. 506 00:40:37,584 --> 00:40:39,751 The road is now abandoned. 507 00:40:41,626 --> 00:40:46,167 Grands Goulets is now closed as it is unsafe. 508 00:40:46,334 --> 00:40:48,792 The question is, what are we going to do about it? 509 00:40:48,999 --> 00:40:51,709 Shall we go and bulldoze the road wider 510 00:40:51,918 --> 00:40:55,999 and we put ropes so it's safe and anyone can experience it? 511 00:40:56,292 --> 00:41:01,334 Or we leave that perfect moment in time, that romantic journey 512 00:41:01,542 --> 00:41:06,999 and the memory of it in photos, let's leave everything as it is? 513 00:41:07,209 --> 00:41:09,209 I think that's right. 514 00:41:12,999 --> 00:41:17,584 Mam Tor road in northern England kept sliding down the hill 515 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:22,792 and by 1979 was too dangerous and closed. 516 00:41:31,334 --> 00:41:37,417 Ironically, the Boardwalk connecting California and Arizona, 517 00:41:38,125 --> 00:41:43,292 which ran on unstable ground, less problematic than expected, 518 00:41:44,125 --> 00:41:47,500 but it has been replaced by a modern bituminous road. 519 00:41:48,292 --> 00:41:51,542 Ed Fletcher was able to unite the country, 520 00:41:51,751 --> 00:41:55,292 closing the gap between Arizona and San Diego, 521 00:41:55,500 --> 00:41:59,459 which would otherwise have been abandoned and remained undeveloped. 522 00:42:03,083 --> 00:42:09,125 Of all the roads, the 52 tunnel road has withstood time the best. 523 00:42:10,584 --> 00:42:15,125 The road was abandoned for 80 years, but was rediscovered in the 1970s. 524 00:42:17,167 --> 00:42:20,250 By then, the tunnels were filled with debris 525 00:42:20,417 --> 00:42:22,709 and most of you had fallen in. 526 00:42:24,209 --> 00:42:27,667 Volunteers cleaned the tunnels and repaired the road surface 527 00:42:28,542 --> 00:42:31,459 and volunteers and tourists return every year , 528 00:42:31,584 --> 00:42:35,334 to commemorate the thousands of men who died in the mountains 529 00:42:35,959 --> 00:42:39,292 and remember their towering technical achievement. 530 00:42:42,042 --> 00:42:45,292 Only when a long time had passed since the war, 531 00:42:45,417 --> 00:42:47,709 people began to appreciate things, 532 00:42:47,834 --> 00:42:50,209 which was amazingly built into the mountains, 533 00:42:50,584 --> 00:42:52,064 as they once were. 534 00:42:52,334 --> 00:42:56,500 So they start visiting battlefields 535 00:42:56,918 --> 00:43:00,584 and to remember their fathers who fought there. 536 00:43:04,834 --> 00:43:08,584 The engineers who built the 52 tunnel road in Italy, 537 00:43:08,709 --> 00:43:14,417 speak for all road builders of the last two centuries . 538 00:43:15,375 --> 00:43:18,542 Fletcher's planks from the desert road in the United States 539 00:43:19,250 --> 00:43:22,792 to the death- defying workers of France's Grands Goulets Pass 540 00:43:23,292 --> 00:43:28,584 and to the unfortunate souls who battled nature during the construction of the Mam Tor road. 541 00:43:30,292 --> 00:43:34,375 Above the entrance to the tunnel, the words are scratched in stone: 542 00:43:35,250 --> 00:43:39,584 "Those who do great things are remembered forever."