Original subtitles

Narrator: A VITAL LIFELINE

BURIED IN THE BARREN DESERT OF CALIFORNIA.

Bell: THAT CANYON IS JUST KIND OF LANDSLIDE READY.

IT'S NOT SOLID GROUND.

IT'S KIND OF SHATTERED GRANITE.

Hyatt: AND ONCE A SLIDE STARTS, IT JUST KEEPS SLIDING

UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.

Narrator: A HULKING REMNANT OF THE COLD WAR,

RUSTING AWAY BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN.

Bell: IT'S SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT.

Bell: IT'S SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT.

THERE'S THIS ENORMOUS STRUCTURE

IN FRONT OF YOU THAT LOOKS SO COMPLEX.

Narrator: A MASSIVE NAZI COMPLEX BUILT FOR BRAINWASHING.

IT'S NOTHING BUT A MODERN-DAY MIND-CONTROL CENTER.

Narrator: ONCE THEY WERE SOME OF THE MOST ADVANCED STRUCTURES

AND FACILITIES ON THE PLANET.

AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

TODAY, THEY STAND ABANDONED, CONTAMINATED,

TODAY, THEY STAND ABANDONED, CONTAMINATED,

AND SOMETIMES, DEADLY.

WHO BUILT THEM AND HOW?

AND WHY WERE THEY ABANDONED?

*

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,

HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,

CLOSE TO THE MEXICAN BORDER,

STANDS ONE OF THE MOST DARING AND DANGEROUS

ENGINEERING PROJECTS EVER UNDERTAKEN.

THE HUGE STRUCTURE DOMINATES THE EMPTY,

BARREN LANDSCAPE AROUND IT.

BUT THIS IS NO ORDINARY BRIDGE.

THIS IS THE LARGEST CURVED WOODEN STRUCTURE ON EARTH.

*

IT'S SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE SITE.

IT'S SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE SITE.

THERE'S THIS ENORMOUS STRUCTURE

IN FRONT OF YOU THAT LOOKS SO COMPLEX.

IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ARTIFICIALLY BUILT

TO MAKE IT LOOK THAT WAY.

AND IT SCREAMS KIND OF THE WILD WEST AND FRONTIER AMERICA.

BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY GENUINE.

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW IT WAS.

AND IT'S BEEN UNTOUCHED BECAUSE IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

Narrator: THIS ABANDONED BRIDGE LINKS TWO ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEAKS.

IT STANDS 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,

IT STANDS 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,

IS 600 FEET LONG,

AND HAS AN IMPRESSIVE 14-DEGREE CURVE.

BUT WHY WOULD ANYONE BUILD SUCH A HUGE BRIDGE

IN THIS REMOTE, HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT?

AND WHY WAS IT ABANDONED?

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

THE AMERICAN RAILROAD IS IN ITS GOLDEN AGE.

IN THE AMERICAN WEST,

THE GOVERNMENT DESPERATELY NEEDS TO CONNECT

THE GOVERNMENT DESPERATELY NEEDS TO CONNECT

TWO VITAL CENTERS OF TRADE AND POPULATION --

SAN DIEGO AND ARIZONA.

BUT HOW DO THEY GET A LINE THROUGH A WIDE,

GAPING CANYON IN THE REMOTE DESERT WILDERNESS?

THE SOLUTION IS THIS --

THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE BRIDGE.

Gough: THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE IS AN AMAZING ENGINEERING FEAT.

THE QUESTION IS, WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY,

OR WAS IT A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME,

OR WAS IT A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME,

WHICH IS ALL ABOUT,

WOW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE,

BUT WE CAN DO IT.

Narrator: A SMALL ARMY OF WORKERS

AND ENGINEERS BEGIN BUILDING IN 1932.

CONDITIONS ARE BRUTAL.

NO WATER FOR MILES OR PROTECTION

FROM THE RELENTLESS DESERT SUN.

[ BIRD CAWS ] BUILDING THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE

MUST HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE.

JUST LOOK AT WHERE IT IS.

IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.

IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.

YOU'VE GOT A LACK OF WATER, EXTREME TEMPERATURES.

YOU'RE BUILDING THE WHOLE THING OUT OF TIMBER,

WHICH IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY DRY OUT THERE.

THE SMALLEST SPARK

OR A CIGARETTE CASUALLY THROWN AWAY

COULD SET THE WHOLE THING ALIGHT.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY TREACHEROUS WORKING CONDITIONS.

Narrator: BUT WHAT OTHER DANGERS DO THE ENGINEERS FACE?

AND USING WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY 19th CENTURY TECHNOLOGY,

JUST HOW DIFFICULT IS THE TRESTLE BRIDGE TO BUILD?

JUST HOW DIFFICULT IS THE TRESTLE BRIDGE TO BUILD?

THAT ENTIRE STRETCH OF THE SAN DIEGO AND ARIZONA LINE,

BUILT ALONG THE SIDE

OF THE CANYON WITH THE TRESTLES, THE TUNNELS,

BUT ALSO FOLLOWING THE CONTOURS OF THE CANYON.

THAT CANYON IS KIND OF LANDSLIDE READY.

IT'S NOT SOLID GROUND.

IT'S KIND OF SHATTERED GRANITE

THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THIS ON TOP OF.

TO BE THERE WORKING ON THAT, KNOWING THAT THE LAND

COULD GO AWAY BENEATH YOUR FEET AT ANY TIME

NOT ONLY WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY PETRIFYING,

BUT TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY DID AND TO HAVE BUILT

BUT TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY DID AND TO HAVE BUILT

THAT WHOLE STRETCH OF LINE IS UNBELIEVABLE.

Narrator: THE RAILWAY AIMS TO CONNECT SAN DIEGO WITH ARIZONA,

AND RUNS THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST

UNFORGIVING TERRAIN IN THE WORLD.

AT THE TIME, THE BUILDING PROJECT IS DUBBED

"THE IMPOSSIBLE RAILROAD."

THERE WERE ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS BUILDING THE RAILWAY

SO CLOSE TO THE MEXICAN BORDER.

I MEAN, THERE WAS INCIDENT

AFTER INCIDENT, KIDNAPS, MURDERS.

AFTER INCIDENT, KIDNAPS, MURDERS.

Narrator: BUT IT'S NOT JUST VIOLENCE, FALLING ROCKS,

AND EXTREME HEAT THAT AFFECTS THE BRIDGE'S CONSTRUCTION.

THE VERY GEOLOGY PROVES EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.

THE RAILROAD WAS PLAGUED WITH ISSUES,

BUT A LARGE PORTION IS PRIMARILY WITHIN THIS REGION

BECAUSE IT'S SO UNSTABLE.

SOME OF THESE MOUNTAINS ARE SOLID ROCK.

SOME OF THEM ARE A COMBINATION OF DECOMPOSED GRANITE.

AND ONCE A SLIDE STARTS, IT JUST KEEPS SLIDING

UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.

UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.

Narrator: THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE ISN'T THE FIRST ATTEMPT

TO GET TRAINS OVER THIS CANYON.

ENGINEERS FIRST BUILT A RAILWAY TUNNEL

IN THE EARLY 1900s,

BUT THAT COLLAPSES AFTER JUST ONE YEAR.

THEN, THEY EVEN CONSTRUCT RAIL TRACKS ON THE CANYON EDGE,

BUT THOSE SLIDE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

TO MY LEFT IS THE COLLAPSED TUNNEL 15.

IT IS A MASSIVE SLIDE AREA UP ON THE HILLSIDE.

SHUT IT DOWN ABOUT 18, 19 FEET.

Narrator: THE PROBLEM THEY FACED WAS

HOW TO REPAIR THE VITAL RAIL LINE

CONNECTING SAN DIEGO TO THE REST OF THE USA.

THE ANSWER -- A GIANT TRESTLE BRIDGE.

AND THE CLOCK WAS TICKING.

THE ENGINEERING BEHIND THE STRUCTURE

MAY APPEAR VERY SIMPLE,

BUT IT'S MADE UP OF A VAST NUMBER OF SHORT SPANS

SUPPORTED BY A TRIPOD.

ONTO WHICH THE BRIDGE PLATFORM IS THEN LAID.

THIS ALL STARTED WITH ONE MAN, JOHN D. SPRECKELS.

HE FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR SAN DIEGO

TO HAVE A TRANSCONTINENTAL LINK

TO THE EASTERN PART OF THE UNITED STATES.

AND HE BELIEVED THAT HE COULD PROMOTE SAN DIEGO

AND ITS BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL HARBOR FOR BUSINESS

AND ITS BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL HARBOR FOR BUSINESS

AND GROWING THE CITY ITSELF.

HIS WHOLE ETHOS WAS THAT,

IF YOU WANTED PEOPLE TO LIVE SOMEWHERE,

YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM A FORM OF TRANSPORTATION.

IT HAS TO BE COMFORTABLE, AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL,

IT HAS TO BE CHEAP.

Narrator: BUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

IS PLAGUED WITH DELAYS AND PROBLEMS.

GIVEN THE HUGE DIFFICULTY

OF THE TASK AND ITS LOCATION.

AND ONE ELEMENT ALONE MAKES THIS BRIDGE

STAND OUT FROM ITS COMPETITORS

STAND OUT FROM ITS COMPETITORS

AND ADDS GREATLY TO THE RISKS INVOLVED.

IT'S MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF WOOD.

Bell: TIMBER STRUCTURES LIKE THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE ARE

DESIGNED TO BE QUITE FLEXIBLE.

IF YOU WERE TO WATCH A GREAT,

BIG TRAIN RUMBLE ACROSS THE TOP,

YOU WOULD SEE FLEXIBILITY

AND MOVEMENT IN ALL OF THE MEMBERS,

IN ALL OF THE TRESTLES AND THE TIES.

THEY WOULD BE MOVING.

THEY WOULD BE MOVING.

IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO THAT. IT'S PART OF THE BEAUTY.

AS THEY ALL MOVE, THE STRESSES ARE KIND OF RELIEVED

AND NOT ALL TAKEN IN BY ONE POINT.

SOME OF THOSE TIMBERS ARE DRYING OUT FASTER THAN OTHERS,

MEANS THAT THAT FLEXIBILITY IS NOW

POSSIBLY PART OF THE REASON WHY IT'S COMING APART.

THE TIMBER ITSELF IS STILL GREAT.

IT'S JUST, THE BOLTS THAT ARE HOLDING IT TOGETHER

HAVE BEEN LOOSENED BY

ALL OF THAT MOVEMENT AND FLEXIBILITY.

AND IF NO ONE'S GOING ALONG TO TIGHTEN THEM UP ANYMORE,

AND IF NO ONE'S GOING ALONG TO TIGHTEN THEM UP ANYMORE,

YOU'RE GONNA GET A STRUCTURE THAT'S NO LONGER SOUND.

Narrator: THOUGH IT'S CRUCIAL FOR THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT,

THE WOOD DOES HAVE A POTENTIALLY FATAL FLAW.

Davis: BECAUSE IT'S ON A GRADE, A 1.6% GRADE,

THE PROBLEM COMES FROM THE BRAKE SHOES.

HAPPEN TO APPLY THE BRAKES

FOR LONG DISTANCES, IT WOULD HEAT UP,

AND HOT PIECES OF METAL WOULD COME OFF

AND COULD FALL DOWN INTO THE SUPERSTRUCTURE

AND SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE TRESTLE.

AND SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE TRESTLE.

Narrator: THIS FEAR OF HOT SHARDS OF METAL FALLING

FROM THE BRAKES INTO THE WOOD STRUCTURE

AND STARTING A FIRE IS A VERY REAL

AND EVER-PRESENT THREAT.

A THREAT SO SERIOUS THAT A HUGE WATER TANK IS

INSTALLED ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE

TO SUPPLY A TRACKSIDE SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

THERE IS A TANK CAR

THAT SITS ABOVE THIS GOAT CREEK CANYON TRESTLE

THAT THEY INSTALLED THERE

WITH THE PIPING SPECIFICALLY

WITH THE PIPING SPECIFICALLY

TO SUPPRESS ANY FIRE

THAT WOULD BURN THEIR $300,000 PROJECT.

Davis: AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE A PERSON TEND THAT SO THAT,

WHEN THE TRAINS WOULD TRAVEL OVER THE BRIDGE,

HE WOULD TURN ON THE VALVES

AND COME OUT AND START THE SPRINKLERS AND STUFF,

JUST TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THE HOT PIECES OF METAL OFF

THE BRAKE SHOE WERE ABLE TO CATCH IT ON FIRE.

WITHOUT THAT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT GREAT RISK.

Narrator: WILL THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE BRIDGE WORK AS PLANNED?

Narrator: WILL THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE BRIDGE WORK AS PLANNED?

AND WHY WAS IT ABANDONED?

*

Narrator: AFTER 11 YEARS OF METICULOUS

AND DANGEROUS ENGINEERING EFFORTS, JOHN D. SPRECKELS

AND HIS ENGINEERING TEAM

COMPLETE THE GOAT CANYON TRESTLE BRIDGE.

INSTANTLY, IT BECOMES THE HIGHEST

AND MOST REMOTE WOODEN RAILWAY STRUCTURE EVER BUILT.

STANDING OVER 200 FEET ABOVE

THE DUSTY DESERT FLOOR,

THE DUSTY DESERT FLOOR,

IT SPANS 750 FEET

ACROSS THE UNINHABITED CANYON CARRIZO GORGE.

KNOWN AS THE IMPOSSIBLE RAILROAD,

CONDITIONS ONBOARD THE TRAIN

LIVE UP TO THIS MONIKER.

SAN DIEGO AND ARIZONA WAS KNOWN AS -- KIND OF DEROGATORILY

AS THE SLOW, DIRTY, AND AGGRAVATING.

THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING IN THE CARS.

THERE WERE NO SCREENS ON THE WINDOWS.

THEY WERE RUNNING STEAM LOCOMOTIVES.

THEY WERE RUNNING STEAM LOCOMOTIVES.

THEY WOULD GO THROUGH THESE TUNNELS,

AND THEY WOULD BE CHOKED OUT BY THE STEAM AND THE FUMES,

AND THEY'D HAVE TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS,

AND IT WOULD BE 100 DEGREES.

SO, IT -- I DON'T THINK IT WAS A VERY GOOD RIDE. [ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: THE MOST DANGEROUS ELEMENT

OF THE BRIDGE'S CONSTRUCTION

IS ITS 14-DEGREE CURVE.

THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO MAXIMIZE THE STRENGTH OF THE BRIDGE.

A STRAIGHT, NON-CURVED ANGLE MAKES THE WHOLE STRUCTURE

MORE VULNERABLE TO STRONG WINDS AND COLLAPSE.

MORE VULNERABLE TO STRONG WINDS AND COLLAPSE.

BUT IF THE TRAIN GOES TOO FAST, IT COULD DERAIL

AND END UP PLUNGING TO THE DESERT FLOOR BELOW,

AS THIS FOOTAGE FROM ANOTHER TRESTLE BRIDGE

IN THE 1970s SHOWS.

Davis: THE SPEED ON THIS BRIDGE,

BECAUSE OF THE 14-DEGREE CURVE ON IT,

IS ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

IN REAL TERMS, THAT'S A VERY SHARP CURVE.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THAT.

IT'S ALSO VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO THE STRUCTURE.

IT'S ALSO VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO THE STRUCTURE.

Narrator: IN 1976, HURRICANE KATHLEEN HITS

OTHER BRIDGES ON THE RAIL LINE,

AND AFTER SEVERAL EARTHQUAKES,

ROCK FALLS, FIRES,

AND THE RISE OF CAR TRAVEL,

THE TRESTLE BRIDGE IS FINALLY ABANDONED IN THAT SAME YEAR.

TODAY, THE BARREN MOUNTAINS

SURROUNDING GOAT CANYON TRESTLE

OBSCURE IT FROM ALL

BUT THE MOST DETERMINED TRAVELERS.

BUT THE MOST DETERMINED TRAVELERS.

6,000 MILES AWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE PLANET IN UKRAINE,

INSIDE THE NOTORIOUS CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION

ZONE IS THE SITE OF ONE

OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY STRUCTURES EVER BUILT.

LOOMING OVER THE LANDSCAPE IS A GIANT LATTICEWORK

OF BEAMS AND CABLES.

TOWERING OVER 500 FEET

AND SPANNING 2,500 FEET LONG,

AND SPANNING 2,500 FEET LONG,

THIS ONCE TOP-SECRET COMPLEX IS,

FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES,

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

TODAY, IT STANDS DEAD AND SILENT,

EXCEPT FOR THE CREAKING OF ITS STEEL PLATES

IN THE WIND.

[ STEEL SCREECHING ]

BUT ONCE, THIS INCREDIBLE MACHINE

COULD BE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD.

Gough: WOW, THIS IS POST-APOCALYPTIC.

THIS IS A MOVIE SET.

THIS IS A MOVIE SET.

I COULD SEE JAMES BOND.

I COULD SEE BRUCE WILLIS.

IT'S THAT KIND OF EERIE SILENCE

TODAY THAT MAKES YOU THINK,

THIS COULD MAKE A GREAT FILM

FOR AN ABANDONED CIVILIZATION ON MARS.

IT'S JUST THAT WEIRD.

Narrator: BUT WHAT DOES THIS MASSIVE STRUCTURE

HAVE TO DO WITH CHERNOBYL,

AND WHY WAS IT ABANDONED?

IN THE '70s, COLD-WAR TENSIONS ARE MOUNTING.

THE SOVIET UNION IS LOOKING TO BOOST

THE SOVIET UNION IS LOOKING TO BOOST

ITS MILITARY TECHNOLOGY AGAINST THE WEST.

TO DO THIS, THEY CONSTRUCT THE MASSIVE DUGA WOODPECKER.

Bell: IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT BE AWESTRUCK

AND RECOGNIZE IT IMMEDIATELY AS BEING SOVIET,

AS BEING AN ICON OF THE COLD WAR.

DID THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT LOOKED INTIMIDATING,

THAT MIGHT GIVE THE IMPRESSION

OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT?

OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT?

YES, RIGHT, BUILD IT, AND BUILD IT BIG.

Narrator: THE DUGA WOODPECKER IS, IN FACT, AN OVER-THE-HORIZON RADAR.

BUT HOW DOES THIS RADAR ACTUALLY WORK?

Corum: THE OVER-THE-HORIZON RADAR

WILL GIVE YOU AN ABILITY TO SCAN AN AREA

LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS RANGE.

THIS, OF COURSE, IS ESSENTIAL

IF YOU ARE GOING TO PROVIDE

THAT EARLY WARNING

AGAINST ANOTHER COUNTRY'S AIRCRAFT OR MISSILES.

AGAINST ANOTHER COUNTRY'S AIRCRAFT OR MISSILES.

THE THING YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER IS, OBVIOUSLY,

THE EARTH IS CURVED, OKAY?

SO THAT SORT OF LIMITS THE DISTANCE

THAT ANY WAVE THAT THE RADAR MIGHT BE

GIVING OUT CAN TRAVEL TO THE HORIZON.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE FURTHER AWAY,

YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE WAVE SORT OF BEND

OR GO AROUND WITH THE CURVATURE OF THE EARTH.

AND ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT IS, THANKFULLY,

WE HAVE THIS IONOSPHERE WHICH,

WE HAVE THIS IONOSPHERE WHICH,

WITH THESE SORT OF LOW FREQUENCIES

THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH RADAR,

THEY CAN'T GO THROUGH. SO THEY LITERALLY JUST BOUNCE.

YOU COULD ACTUALLY UTILIZE THAT TO TRY AND GET YOUR WAVES

TO TRAVEL FURTHER AND THEN BACK AGAIN.

Narrator: AND THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK IS TO BUILD BIG.

REALLY BIG.

Corum: TO BOUNCE THOSE SIGNALS

OFF THE IONOSPHERE DOWN AND OF COURSE,

TO GET THE RETURN OFF THE IONOSPHERE,

YOU NEED A MASSIVE SENDER,

AND YOU NEED A MASSIVE RECEIVER.

AND YOU NEED A MASSIVE RECEIVER.

EVEN THE MOST SOPHISTICATED MODERN

OVER-THE-HORIZON RADAR APPARATUS,

YOU CAN'T MINIATURIZE THESE THINGS.

THEY ARE VAST INSTALLATIONS.

Narrator: WITH ITS ABILITY TO DETECT INCOMING MISSILES,

THE DUGA WOODPECKER WOULD BE

IN THE FRONT LINE OF ANY FUTURE WAR.

BUT WILL IT WORK?

Reagan: SINCE 1970, THE SOVIETS

HAVE INVESTED $500 BILLION MORE

ON THEIR MILITARY FORCES THAN WE HAVE.

ON THEIR MILITARY FORCES THAN WE HAVE.

CAN ANYONE STILL DOUBT

THEIR SINGLE-MINDED DETERMINATION

TO EXPAND THEIR POWER?

3, 2, 1, 0.

Narrator: WITH THE FLIGHT TIME OF NUCLEAR MISSILES

MEASURED IN JUST MINUTES,

ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF INCOMING SIGNALS

IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.

ONE FALSE READING COULD MEAN DISASTER.

THE WOODPECKER IS TESTAMENT TO THE FACT

THE WOODPECKER IS TESTAMENT TO THE FACT

THAT BIG DOES NOT MEAN BETTER.

IT HAS THE COMPUTER PROCESSING POWER

OF ANY COMPUTER IN THE 1970s.

IT'S MINISCULE.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS,

THE RESULTS HAVE TO BE INTERPRETED BY AN INDIVIDUAL --

IT'S A HUMAN, FOR A START.

AND IF THEY GET IT WRONG,

IF THEY THINK THAT MAYBE THIS IS AN INCOMING MISSILE

AND NOT A BIRD WHICH HAS CAUSED THIS FLUCTUATION,

THEN GUESS WHAT?

IT'S THE START OF WORLD WAR III.

Narrator: WITH ITS POWERFUL RADAR SIGNAL TRAVERSING THE GLOBE,

COULD THE DUGA WOODPECKER HAVE PLAYED A ROLE

IN THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER?

*

Narrator: THE SO-CALLED DUGA WOODPECKER IN UKRAINE

IS A MASSIVE OVER-THE-HORIZON RADAR FROM THE COLD WAR.

LIKE ALL SUCH SOVIET INSTALLATIONS,

ITS OPERATION IS SHROUDED IN SECRECY.

BUILT IN 1976, THE SOVIETS

TRIED TO OPERATE THE RADAR IN SECRET FOR 12 YEARS,

BUT IT HAS ONE DEAD GIVEAWAY.

BUT IT HAS ONE DEAD GIVEAWAY.

WHEN IN OPERATION,

IT GIVES OFF A DISTINCT TAPPING NOISE,

WHICH CAN EASILY BE HEARD BY ANYONE LISTENING IN.

[ TAPPING ]

THIS IS HOW THE RADAR EARNED ITS NICKNAME "THE WOODPECKER."

RADAR SIGNALS THEMSELVES TENDED TO JAM

AND INTERRUPT

ALL KINDS OF STANDARD

CIVILIAN FREQUENCIES,

INCLUDING AIRLINER RADIO FREQUENCIES.

[ TAPPING ]

THEY LATER HAD TO CHANGE SOME FREQUENCIES THERE

THEY LATER HAD TO CHANGE SOME FREQUENCIES THERE

BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY INTERNATIONAL COMPLAINTS.

Narrator: ANOTHER PROBLEM IS ITS LOCATION.

IT'S SITUATED JUST SEVEN MILES

FROM THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT,

WHICH PROVIDED THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS

OF ELECTRICITY USED TO POWER THE RADAR.

THE WOODPECKER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1970s,

BUT IT WAS STILL UP AND RUNNING IN THE 1980s,

LEADING SOME TO SPECULATE THAT THE POWER

THAT IT WAS DRAWING IN,

AND THE SIGNALS IT WAS PRODUCING

AND THE SIGNALS IT WAS PRODUCING

MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CHERNOBYL POWER PLANT

TO EXPLODE.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: THE DUGA WOODPECKER SENT OUT POWERFUL,

MAGNETRON, HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO WAVES.

AS CHERNOBYL WAS JUST SEVEN MILES AWAY,

SOME EXPERTS BELIEVE

THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE INTERFERED

WITH SOME OF THE CONTROLS AT THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

AND MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE

FOR THE MELTDOWN THAT OCCURRED.

WHETHER THIS IS TRUE OR NOT REMAINS

WHETHER THIS IS TRUE OR NOT REMAINS

A MATTER OF SPECULATION.

Narrator: WHEN REACTOR NUMBER FOUR AT THE PLANT EXPLODES

ON APRIL 26, 1986,

A HUGE AREA IS EXPOSED TO RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION.

Male Reporter: REACTOR NUMBER FOUR EXPLODED,

SPEWING RADIATION OVER MUCH OF EUROPE.

TWO OTHERS HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN.

IT IS THE WORLD'S WORST NUCLEAR ACCIDENT.

Narrator: OVERNIGHT, THE ENTIRE DUGA COMPLEX AND THE ACCOMMODATION

Narrator: OVERNIGHT, THE ENTIRE DUGA COMPLEX AND THE ACCOMMODATION

FOR ITS THOUSANDS OF WORKERS ARE ABANDONED.

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE DUGA WOODPECKER

WAS NOT A VICTIM, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.

Bell: THE WOODPECKER SUMS UP

BRILLIANTLY THE COLD WAR GENERALLY.

ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

THAT COULDN'T GO FAST ENOUGH AT THE TIME

BUILT BIG ON A HUGE SCALE.

INTIMIDATING.

INTIMIDATING.

AND NOW IT SITS QUIETLY,

WASTING AWAY IN THE MIDDLE

OF AN EXCLUSION ZONE FROM CHERNOBYL.

AND MAYBE THAT'S THE IMAGE THAT WE'RE LEFT WITH

WHEN WE LOOK UP AT THE WOODPECKER.

Narrator: TODAY, THE ONCE-MIGHTY WOODPECKER STANDS ISOLATED

IN THE UKRAINIAN FORESTS NEAR THE BORDER WITH RUSSIA.

A DECAYING REMINDER OF OUR FEARS

OF ALL-OUT WAR.

TOO EXPENSIVE TO DEMOLISH,

AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REUSE.

AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REUSE.

JUST 700 MILES AWAY IN GERMANY,

THE REMAINS OF ONE OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR'S

MOST SINISTER SECRETS STILL STANDS

ON THE BALTIC ISLAND OF RUEGEN.

HIDDEN BEHIND THE PINE TREES LINING THE COAST

IS A GIANT BUILDING COMPLEX SO MORTIFYING,

IT MAKES ONE'S BLOOD RUN COLD.

IT MAKES ONE'S BLOOD RUN COLD.

ORIGINALLY HAILED FOR ITS FUTURISTIC DESIGN,

IT WAS CONSTRUCTED TO BE IMPOSING.

IT HAS SIX STORIES, OVER 10,000 ROOMS,

AND CAN HOLD OVER 20,000 PEOPLE.

AT 2.8 MILES IN LENGTH,

IT'S ONE OF THE LONGEST BUILDINGS

EVER CONSTRUCTED IN EUROPE

AND DOMINATES THE SURROUNDING SCENERY.

BUT WHAT WAS THIS STRUCTURE'S REAL SINISTER PURPOSE,

BUT WHAT WAS THIS STRUCTURE'S REAL SINISTER PURPOSE,

AND WHY WAS IT ABANDONED?

*

IN 1936, HITLER HAS HIS EYES SET ON TAKING OVER EUROPE.

BUT TO DO THAT, HE NEEDS SOLDIERS AND LOTS OF THEM.

HIS SOLUTION IS TO CONSTRUCT

THE BIGGEST BRAIN-WASHING DOMAIN

IN THE WORLD -- THE PRORA COMPLEX.

Gough: THIS IS NOTHING BUT A MODERN-DAY,

Gough: THIS IS NOTHING BUT A MODERN-DAY,

MIND-CONTROL CENTER.

THIS IS WHERE GERMAN WORKERS

WOULD GO FOR AN ALLEGED HOLIDAY.

BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE BEING WOKEN UP

WITH A LOUDSPEAKER

AND TOLD WHAT TO DO,

HOW TO DO IT, AND WHEN TO DO IT.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR MEALS TOGETHER,

AND IN YOUR SO-CALLED LEISURE TIME,

YOU'RE GONNA WATCH THE SAME PROPAGANDA FILMS

AND READ THE SAME PROPAGANDA LITERATURE.

David: THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND MONEY

THAT WENT INTO CREATING THE COMPLEX,

YOU REALIZE WHAT AN ACTUALLY VITALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT IT

YOU REALIZE WHAT AN ACTUALLY VITALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT IT

WAS FOR THE NAZIS.

THIS WAS REALLY THE LONG-TERM GAME,

WHICH IS TO CREATE A MASTER RACE

THAT THOUGHT LIKE THE NAZIS THOUGHT.

Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST THE PLANNED NAZI MASTER RACE

THAT WAS GOING TO CONQUER THE WORLD.

AT THE TIME,

THE MECHANICS AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE PRORA COMPLEX ITSELF

ARE STATE-OF-THE-ART AND FORM A PHYSICAL EXAMPLE

OF CUTTING-EDGE ENGINEERING,

CONSTRUCTION, AND DESIGN.

CONSTRUCTION, AND DESIGN.

THE CONCEPT WAS WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME

IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WERE INTENDING TO PRODUCE.

YES, IT WAS QUITE SPARTAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

YOU HAD THIS AMAZING COMPLEX THAT, OF COURSE,

HAS AN ELEMENT OF CONTROL PLANNED

OR BUILT INTO IT.

BUT FOR THE AVERAGE GERMAN WORKER,

THIS WOULD HAVE SEEMED LIKE NIRVANA.

THEY WOULD HAVE COME FROM INDUSTRIAL CITIES.

THEY PROBABLY HAD NEVER SEEN THE SEA BEFORE.

SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ITS ATTRACTION.

YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE, THE WHOLE INTENT

YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE, THE WHOLE INTENT

WAS TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYMAKERS

STEP OFF THAT BOAT AND SAY,

"WOW, THIS IS FANTASTIC."

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF NATIONALISM.

Narrator: BUT HOW WOULD THE NAZIS

INDOCTRINATE THOSE WHO WENT THERE?

AND WHY WAS PRORA ABANDONED?

*

Narrator: ON THE EDGE OF THE BALTIC SEA IN NORTHERN GERMANY

IS AN ABANDONED SITE KNOWN SIMPLY AS PRORA.

BEGINNING IN 1936, ENGINEERS

AND WORKERS LABOR IN SECRET

FOR THREE YEARS TO CONSTRUCT THIS MASSIVE,

SPRAWLING SITE.

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST TOP-SECRET PROJECTS FOR THE NAZIS.

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST TOP-SECRET PROJECTS FOR THE NAZIS.

A PLACE WHERE THOUSANDS OF GERMAN CITIZENS

WERE TO BECOME INDOCTRINATED

INTO THE IDEOLOGY OF ADOLF HITLER

AND THE THIRD REICH. [ CHANTING IN GERMAN ]

KATJA LUCKE IS A LOCAL HISTORIAN

WHO'S AN EXPERT ON THE SITE.

PEOPLE WERE TO BE MANIPULATED AND INFLUENCED HERE.

THE IDEA BEHIND THAT WAS THAT,

PEOPLE WERE TO GET MAXIMUM REST AND RECOVERY

PEOPLE WERE TO GET MAXIMUM REST AND RECOVERY

WITHOUT HAVING A SINGLE MOMENT OF SPARE TIME.

TO GET FIT AND STRONG FOR THE WAR,

TO ACHIEVE BETTER WORK RESULTS,

AND ACTUALLY ALSO TO BE CONDITIONED FOR MASS MURDER.

YOU COULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE NAZI IDEOLOGY.

WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE MOTION

OF HOW THE NAZIS ENVISIONED THE PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY TO BE.

THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ALL-DAY PROGRAM,

THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ALL-DAY PROGRAM,

STARTING WITH A MORNING ASSEMBLY,

FOLLOWED BY SWIMMING IN THE SEA, DINNER,

AND A CLOSING CEREMONY.

EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN ELABORATELY ORGANIZED.

Narrator: BUT THE PRORA COMPLEX

IS ALSO A MASTERPIECE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.

THE 2.8-MILE-LONG BUILDING

IS DIVIDED INTO EIGHT SIX-STORY ACCOMMODATION BLOCKS,

ALL CONSTRUCTED FROM REINFORCED CONCRETE.

ALL CONSTRUCTED FROM REINFORCED CONCRETE.

A HUGE INNOVATION AT THE TIME.

Bell: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

AND SO WITH THAT COMES THAT IMPRESSION OF,

WOW, THIS IS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY.

THIS IS ADVANCEMENT. WE'RE AT THE FOREFRONT HERE.

SO, IT MIGHT SOUND QUITE DULL TO US TODAY,

REINFORCED CONCRETE.

BACK THEN, IT WAS REALLY EXCITING.

Narrator: EACH BLOCK CONTAINS DOZENS OF ROOMS OVERLOOKING THE SEA --

ALL DESIGNED TO BE DELIBERATELY BASIC.

ALL DESIGNED TO BE DELIBERATELY BASIC.

PRORA WASN'T ABOUT LUXURY.

IT WAS ABOUT POWER.

ITS HUGE ENTRANCE HALLS ARE DESIGNED

TO HAVE THE SAME IMPACT

AS THE VAST NUREMBERG RALLY ARENA.

Lucke: THIS ROOM IS PART OF THE RECEPTION HALL.

IT WAS BUILT TALL AND MIGHTY TO IMPRESS THE WORKERS

WHO WOULD HAVE COME HERE.

WHO WOULD HAVE COME HERE.

IT WAS ONE WAY OF HAVING A GREAT INFLUENCE.

IF YOU CAME HERE, YOU WOULD HAVE FELT INTIMIDATED,

BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

ALSO UPLIFTED BY BEING PART OF SUCH A GREAT IDEA.

THIS IS HOW MANIPULATION WORKED.

Gough: YOU LOOK AT PRORA TODAY, AND IT'S SORT OF DESOLATE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE THE GRANDEUR

THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO HAVE AND PROBABLY ONCE DID.

IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS,

IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS,

THIS HAS A GREAT ARYAN FEEL TO IT.

YOU CAN IMAGINE COMING OFF THE BOAT AND SAYING,

"WOW, WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY IS THIS."

Bell: DON'T THINK YOU COULD SEE A STRUCTURE BACK

THEN IN THE 1930s

LIKE WHAT THERE IS AT PRORA

AND NOT BE IMPRESSED BY IT.

NOT FEEL AS THOUGH, WOW, THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL,

AND IT'S OURS.

Narrator: BUT WHAT ROLE DID PRORA PLAY IN HITLER'S PLANS

FOR WORLD DOMINATION AND GENOCIDE?

FOR WORLD DOMINATION AND GENOCIDE?

AND WHY WAS PRORA FINALLY ABANDONED?

*

Narrator: IN 1936, THE NAZI ARCHITECTS' PLANS

FOR THE KEY PART OF THE PRORA COMPLEX

IS A MONUMENTAL AUDITORIUM CAPABLE OF HOLDING

ALL 20,000 GERMAN LABORERS AT THE SAME TIME.

IT'S AUSTERE.

IT IS EVERYTHING THAT IS GRAND ABOUT THE SO-CALLED ARYAN RACE,

AND IT WAS DESIGNED TO EMIT FEELINGS OF NATIONAL PRIDE.

AND YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT HAD THAT VERY EFFECT.

AND YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT HAD THAT VERY EFFECT.

I THINK MAYBE YOU WOULD BE ALMOST HYPNOTIZED BY THIS SIGHT

THAT YOU'VE GOT IN FRONT OF YOU.

AND MAYBE YEAH, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT

OF THAT WORKED TO HITLER'S HAND.

Narrator: BUT HOW COULD THIS SITE PLAY

A PART IN HITLER'S PLANS

FOR WORLD DOMINATION AND GENOCIDE?

THE IDEOLOGICAL CONCEPT STARTS WITH AN ORGANIZATION

CALLED KRAFT DURCH FREUDE. OR STRENGTH THROUGH JOY.

CALLED KRAFT DURCH FREUDE. OR STRENGTH THROUGH JOY.

LED BY TOP NAZI ROBERT LEY,

ON THE SURFACE, STRENGTH THROUGH JOY

JUST PROVIDES SUBSIDIZED BREAKS

FOR MILLIONS OF LOW-PAID GERMAN INDUSTRIAL WORKERS.

BUT ITS REAL MISSION

IS TO UNITE THEM BEHIND HITLER. [ CHANTING IN GERMAN ]

I THINK THE STRENGTH THROUGH JOY ORGANIZATION

HAD A VERY SERIOUS INTENTION BEHIND IT,

AND THAT WAS TO BIND PEOPLE TO THE NAZI REGIME,

AND THAT WAS TO BIND PEOPLE TO THE NAZI REGIME,

AND PROBABLY EVEN MORE THAN THAT.

THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO BRAINWASH PEOPLE

AND PREPARE THEM FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR.

SEIG HEIL!

Gough: PROPAGANDA WAS TOTALLY ESSENTIAL

TO THE SUCCESS OF THE THIRD REICH.

THEY HAD TO HAVE EVERYONE ON BOARD.

SO WHAT PRORA WAS WAS AN IDEOLOGICAL WAY

OF MAKING PEOPLE

FEEL REALLY HAPPY ABOUT GIVING 100%

FEEL REALLY HAPPY ABOUT GIVING 100%

OF THEIR FREE TIME BEING INDOCTRINATED WITH

"AREN'T WE THE GREATEST?

ISN'T IT WORTH THE SUFFER?

SHOULDN'T WE ALL BE IN THIS TOGETHER?"

Narrator: BUT IN 1939, HITLER INVADES POLAND

AND SETS OFF WORLD WAR II.

AND WITH THAT, THE ENGINEERING OF PRORA IS ABANDONED.

Lucke: IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST BUILDING LEGACIES OF THE NAZIS.

Lucke: IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST BUILDING LEGACIES OF THE NAZIS.

AND ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING

NEVER FUNCTIONED LIKE THEY PLANNED IT WOULD,

YOU CAN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE USED

FOR AND UNDERSTAND THEIR IDEOLOGY.

Narrator: AT THE END OF THE WAR,

PRORA IS TAKEN OVER BY THE INVADING RUSSIAN FORCES,

WHO TURN IT INTO A MILITARY PRISON

FOR THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE COMMUNIST REGIME.

AND WHEN THE BERLIN WALL FALLS, PRORA IS FINALLY ABANDONED.

AND WHEN THE BERLIN WALL FALLS, PRORA IS FINALLY ABANDONED.

Gough: MANY BELIEVE THE WHOLE COMPLEX SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEVELED.

LET'S FORGET ABOUT THIS MIND CONTROL PROGRAM.

IT'S A PART OF OUR DARK PAST.

LET'S KEEP IT THERE.

Narrator: NOW THE PRORA COMPLEX

IS A POWERFUL REMINDER

OF HITLER'S RUTHLESS AMBITION

TO TOTALLY DOMINATE THE THOUGHTS

AND ACTIONS OF HIS OWN PEOPLE.

[ CHEERING IN GERMAN ]

THANKFULLY, THE SITE NEVER WENT INTO FULL OPERATION

THANKFULLY, THE SITE NEVER WENT INTO FULL OPERATION

BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR ENDED.

BUT TODAY, IN A STRANGE TWIST,

THE PRORA COMPLEX IS BEING

TURNED INTO LUXURY SEASIDE APARTMENTS,

COMPLETE WITH LUXURY DESIGNER FURNITURE

AND BALCONIES OVERLOOKING THE BALTIC SEA.

IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRY OF FRANCE,

DEEP INSIDE THE BLEAK

AND ROCKY ALPINE MOUNTAINS ABOVE GRENOBLE

AND ROCKY ALPINE MOUNTAINS ABOVE GRENOBLE

IS AN AMAZING ENGINEERING FEAT

CARVED OUT OF THE SOLID ROCK OF A CLIFF FACE.

IT'S A ROAD THAT EXTENDS FOR OVER 20 MILES,

GOES THROUGH 30 TUNNELS,

AND SITS NEARLY 1,000 FEET ABOVE THE RHONE RIVER.

Bell: IT'S KIND OF MAN V. NATURE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL WAY.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WON'T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.

IT'S TOTALLY UNIQUE.

IT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS,

IT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS,

AND I CAN'T IMAGINE FOR A SECOND THAT

ANYONE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT TODAY.

BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT OUTCROPS, VALLEYS, RIVERS,

CHANGING THE COURSE OF WHAT THE MOUNTAINS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.

Bell: BUILDING AROUND MOUNTAIN PASSES AND TUNNELS,

IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE AND A REAL DIFFICULTY.

Narrator: BUT WHAT LED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS TREACHEROUS ROAD,

AND WHY WAS IT ABANDONED?

IN 1848, FRENCH FARMERS NEEDED CONNECTION

IN 1848, FRENCH FARMERS NEEDED CONNECTION

FROM THE VERCOR PLATEAU

TO THE CITIES IN THE VALLEY BELOW.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT DECIDE TO ENGINEER A ROAD

THROUGH THE SIDES OF VERTICAL CLIFFS.

THEIR SOLUTION -- THE GRAND GOULETS.

MEANING THE GREAT BOTTLENECKS.

THE OBSTACLES ARE IMMENSE.

SURROUNDED BY GRANITE CLIFFS

AND SHEER-SIDED GORGES,

THE VERCOR VALLEY IS A NATURAL FORTRESS.

FINDING A WAY THROUGH ITS DEFENSES

FINDING A WAY THROUGH ITS DEFENSES

IS NO EASY TASK.

OF COURSE, AT THE TIME, IT WAS REALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

IT WAS REALLY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTURY FOR THE REGION.

Narrator: WHAT SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES DID THE BUILDERS FACE,

AND WHY WAS THE ROAD ABANDONED?

*

Narrator: THE GRAND GOULETS,

OR THE GREAT BOTTLENECKS,

IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN ROUTES IN THE WORLD.

IT SNAKES ITS WAY THOUSANDS OF FEET

ABOVE THE RHONE RIVER IN SOUTHERN FRANCE,

LINKING THE REMOTE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES

WITH THE TOWNS BELOW.

WHAT OBSTACLES DID THE WORKERS

AND ENGINEERS FACE,

AND JUST HOW DID THEY OVERCOME THEM?

AND JUST HOW DID THEY OVERCOME THEM?

THE START OF THE GRAND GOULETS ROAD FOLLOWS

A PART OF A NATURAL EROSION WHERE WATER,

A RIVER HAD PREVIOUSLY GONE THROUGH.

THAT WATER WOULD ALWAYS TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

SO MAYBE FOLLOWING NATURE IN ITS WAY

OF TUNNELING AND ERODING,

CREATING ITS OWN PASSAGE, IS A GOOD IDEA.

BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, WELL HANG ON,

IF THIS IS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE,

WHAT IS THE GEOLOGY THAT I'VE GOT AROUND US HERE?

WHAT IS THE GEOLOGY THAT I'VE GOT AROUND US HERE?

SO, IT'S A TRICKY ONE TO KNOW

WHETHER THAT WAS THE RIGHT OR THE WRONG THING TO DO.

Narrator: IN 1846, ENGINEERING BEGINS

BY CUTTING A TUNNEL ALONGSIDE THE RIVER.

BUT AFTER A FEW HUNDRED YARDS,

IT ABRUPTLY CHANGES COURSE

AND DROPS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GORGE.

NOW THE ENGINEERS FACE ANOTHER HUGE CHALLENGE.

THEY HAVE TO CUT A WORKING ROAD

INTO THE VERTICAL CLIFF FACE AHEAD.

YOU'VE GOT ROCK ABOVE YOU AND DOWN ONE SIDE,

YOU'VE GOT ROCK ABOVE YOU AND DOWN ONE SIDE,

BUT THEN YOU'VE STILL GOT THAT SHEER DROP.

IT'S LIKE AN OPEN-SIDED TUNNEL,

BUT THAT'S THE CHALLENGES THEY WERE FACED

WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING IT.

IT WASN'T JUST ALL OF ONE THING.

IT'S ALL OPEN ROAD. IT'S ALL TUNNELING.

THEY WERE HAVING TO CONTINUOUSLY CHANGE

AND BUILD THE ROAD TO GO ALONG

WITH WHAT NATURE HAD PUT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM.

AND MAYBE IT'S A BIT DISCONCERTING

WHEN YOU GO INTO THOSE KIND OF HALF TUNNELS

BECAUSE YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY AWARE

THAT YOU HAVE AN ENORMOUS

TONNAGE OF ROCK RIGHT ABOVE YOU,

TONNAGE OF ROCK RIGHT ABOVE YOU,

AND YET ON ONE SIDE, THERE'S NO SUPPORT.

IT'S JUST A SHEER DROP.

Narrator: THE ENGINEERS DEVELOP A TECHNIQUE THAT SEEMS SUICIDAL.

WORKERS DROP DOWN THE CLIFF FACE ON ROPES,

CHISEL A HOLE FOR THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGE,

LIGHT THE FUSE,

THEN SWING OUT OF THE WAY WHILE IT GOES OFF.

IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WORK.

WOULD THEY HAVE ANY BETTER WAYS OF DOING IT?

AT THE TIME, REALLY HARD TO SAY.

AT THE TIME, REALLY HARD TO SAY.

THEY PROBABLY COULD HAVE DONE IT MANUALLY WITH PICKS AND AXES.

AND OF COURSE, THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN MUCH, MUCH LONGER TO DO.

SO, I GUESS THEY CHOSE THE MORE RISKY,

BUT QUICK OPTION TO BUILD THIS ROAD.

Bell: THE CONSTRUCTION METHODS

USED TO BUILD THE GRAND GOULETS ROAD

WOULD HAVE A HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER TODAY

IN A COLD SWEAT.

EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN THESE GUYS WENT TO WORK,

THERE WAS A HUGE RISK THEY MIGHT NOT COME BACK.

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: IT TAKES SIX YEARS OF BACK-BREAKING WORK,

AND THOUSANDS OF TONS OF DYNAMITE,

TO COMPLETE THE CRUCIAL

TWO-MILE LONG STRETCH OF THE GRAND GOULETS.

DOZENS OF WORKERS DIE

IN WHAT BECOMES A MONUMENTAL ENGINEERING EFFORT.

BUT IN 1851,

THE NEW ROAD CHANGES LIFE

DRAMATICALLY FOR THE VILLAGERS ON THE VERCOR PLATEAU.

ITS BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND EASY ACCESS

ITS BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND EASY ACCESS

FROM THE VALLEYS BELOW MAKE IT

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS IN SOUTHERN FRANCE.

THE GRAND GOULETS SET OUT

TO BE A COMMERCIAL ROAD

FROM THE GET-GO, CONNECTING VILLAGES

IN THE MOUNTAIN TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.

BUT AS SOON AS IT WAS CONSTRUCTED,

AS SOON AS MEN FINISHED RISKING THEIR LIVES

BY HANGING ON WITH ONE HAND AND DOING EXPLOSIVES

WITH THE OTHER JUST TO GO 10 METERS FURTHER.

IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

IT WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

IT WAS ROMANTIC.

IT WAS INSPIRING,

AND PEOPLE WERE OBSESSED ABOUT TRAVELING ON IT.

Bell: I'M NOT SURE THE ENGINEERS INVOLVED IN BUILDING

THE GRAND GOULETS ROAD KNEW

THAT THEY WERE CREATING A KIND OF ARTISTIC

AND CULTURAL MASTERPIECE AT THE TIME.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT, NOW, IT IS SOMETHING OF BEAUTY.

THERE IS SOMETHING OF A KIND OF MYSTIQUE.

IT HAS A HUGE ARTISTIC VALUE TO IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF ENGINEERING.

AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF ENGINEERING.

Narrator: BUT PROBLEMS SOON START FOR THE GRAND GOULETS.

CONSTRUCTED JUST WIDE ENOUGH

FOR TWO HORSE-DRAWN WAGONS TO PASS EACH OTHER,

BY THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

IT HAS TROUBLE COPING

WITH MODERN TRANSPORTATION

LIKE CARS, BUSES, AND TRUCKS.

WHEN THE ENGINEERS TRY TO WIDEN IT,

THEY DISCOVER A CRUCIAL MISTAKE.

Bell: THE GRAND GOULETS ROAD IS QUITE NARROW,

Bell: THE GRAND GOULETS ROAD IS QUITE NARROW,

AND THERE'S GOOD REASON FOR THAT.

THERE'S NO REINFORCEMENT IN THE TUNNELS

OR IN THE KIND OF OPEN TUNNELS

THAT YOU GO THROUGH AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY

ALONG THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

AND SO YOU'RE LIMITED

TO HOW WIDE YOU CAN TAKE THE ROAD

BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT REINFORCING THE ROAD ABOVE YOU.

Agrawal: TO WIDEN IT, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING.

THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT,

WELL, HOW DO WE SUPPORT THIS ROCK?

AND THAT CAN BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT,

ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME

ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME

WITH TRYING TO TRANSPORT MATERIAL THERE,

TO CREATE FRAMES TO MAYBE HOLD THE ROCKFACE UP.

YOU'RE ALMOST COMING INTO THAT TUNNELING TYPE OF TERRITORY

WHICH MAYBE AT THE TIME WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT BEYOND

WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE.

Narrator: AS THE YEARS GO BY, FASTER, BIGGER CARS

TURN THE ROAD'S TIGHT CURVES INTO DEATH TRAPS.

THEN IN 2000, AND AGAIN IN 2005,

NATURE ITSELF PLAYS ITS HAND.

WHOLE SECTIONS OF CLIFF FALL DOWN ONTO THE ROAD.

WHOLE SECTIONS OF CLIFF FALL DOWN ONTO THE ROAD.

AFTER 150 YEARS, IN 2005,

THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES CLOSE THE ROAD.

TODAY, THE GRAND GOULETS IS ABANDONED,

BUT ITS LEGACY IN FRENCH ENGINEERING LIVES ON.

THE GRAND GOULETS IS CLOSED TODAY,

AND UNDERSTANDABLY SO.

IT'S DANGEROUS.

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT?

DO WE GO IN AND BULLDOZE A WIDER ROAD

AND PUT UP ROPE SO IT'S SAFE,

AND EVERYONE CAN GO EXPERIENCE IT?

AND EVERYONE CAN GO EXPERIENCE IT?

OR DO WE LET THIS PERFECT MOMENT IN TIME,

THIS ROMANTIC JOURNEY AND THE MEMORY OF IT,

THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT,

DO WE LET IT LIVE ON AS-IS?

I THINK WE DO.