New Road To Machu Picchu Discovered
The nearly-mile-long road was built over 500 years ago by the Inca, and appears to be intact
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A 500-year-old road to the Incan site of Machu Picchu was recently discovered by archaeologists working near the famous site. The road is about a mile long and ends near a site overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu.
From Fox News Latino:
“We don’t know yet exactly how long or how tall the tunnel is,” Astete told Fox News Latino, explaining that much excavation needs to be done. The tunnel was built after 20 feet of earth and rock collapsed over the road, he added. “[The Incas] had to break up all those rocks to construct the tunnel.”
The road includes a tunnel—around 15 feet long and as much as 12 feet high—built with the rocks typical of Inca architecture.
"It is one of the finest examples of Inca engineering,” Astete has said.
The road, heavily overgrown with vegetation is currently being cleared off by workers, and Fernando Astete, head of the archaeological park, has said that he would like for the road to eventually be restored.
Machu Picchu is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world, topping many people’s travel bucket list. It's possible to get there by bus, by train or by foot—one of the most sought-after options is to hike in via the Inca Trail. The new stretch of road could provide a new way to access the site; just please, the Peruvian government asks, don't get naked once you get there.