Transfăgărăşan one of the most beautiful roads in the world
On 20 septembrie1974 Transfăgărăşan highway was inaugurated, comprising the longest road tunnel in Romania (887 m), located at the highest altitude in the country: 2,045 m.
Transfăgărăşanul is the most famous road in Romania. Built between 1970 and 1974 as a means of communication between Wallachia and Transylvania, it is called “the way of clouds”.
To achieve the 91 kilometers of road were deployed about 3 million tons of rock were 830 works made cross and 290,000 cubic meters of masonry. To achieve tunnel Capra – Balea – the longest in Romania, with a length of 887 m – were excavated more than 41,000 cubic meters of rock. Also, they used 20 tons of dynamite, 3.573 tons of cement, 89 tons of reinforcing steel, 24,000 anchors, 129 tonnes of welded mesh, 14,200 square meters of formwork, 1,750 linear meters of concrete pipes, 4,100 meters of pipe, 50 tons of metallic, 6,900 cubic meters of sand, 6,000 cubic meters of gravel, 3,000 tonnes of chippings and lighting 740 lamps.
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The idea of building this road belonged to Nicolae Ceausescu who wanted to provide a strategic road over the mountains, used mainly by the military. Following the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops in 1968, Romania was a Red Army Target in sight. By its construction, they could not be passed Fagaras mountains in the area, even using horse.
The building was used by young people enrolled in the military mandatory 18 years, builders civilians and soldiers, peasants and intellectuals, many of the latter that came in communist prisons.
The stories place miners who deal with explosives were kept mounting each other, each 20 to 30, not to be taken by storm and thrown into the abyss.
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Another story relates to a monk named nectar. After building Transfăgărăşan he went by car, a Trabant, to Capra, where he was surprised by an avalanche. He left the car under the canopy of the Goat and he fell on snow, being led by the “wave”. They say it has survived, while the machine was found after 6 months when the snow melted.
The fact is that some of those who built “the way the clouds” died in deep chasms of Fagaras Mountains. Official dozens were reported dead, hundreds were unofficial.
Many deaths were recorded in the construction of a dam at Vidaru, in front of which passes Transfăgărăşanul. The dam was built 10 years earlier, following a large flood in 1960. An entire village was submerged under the waters of the giant lake Vidraru then to make way for the dam.Some villagers drowned Cumpăna chose instead to be displaced. People say that many of the remains of houses, including cross on the steeple can be seen when Vidrarului waters fall. Some homes were drowned and a stately villa that belonged to the family Brătianu.
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