Despeñaperros Pass
Mountain pass through Andalusia and Spanish Meseta / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Despeñaperros Pass has been a strategic location for communications between Andalusia and the Spanish Meseta throughout history. Both by road and rail, this pass has been crucial in facilitating the transit of people and goods between the two regions. With its rugged relief, full of canyons and gorges, impressive engineering works of the History of transport in Spain have been carried out over time.
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Despeñaperros Pass | |
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Spanish: Paso de Despeñaperros | |
Elevation | 663 m (2,175 ft) |
Length | 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) |
Traversed by | E-5 A-4
N-IV Alcázar de San Juan–Cádiz railway |
Location | Santa Elena, Andalusia - Venta de Cárdenas, Castilla-La Mancha |
Range | Sierra Morena |
Coordinates | 38°23′10″N 3°30′25″W |
Its rugged geography and narrow passes have required the construction of bridges, tunnels and other engineering works to overcome the natural obstacles. These infrastructures have witnessed the evolution of transport and have facilitated the economic and social development of the region.
Today, the Despeñaperros pass continues to be a vital artery for vehicle and train traffic.
The chronological evolution of the mountain pass can be summarized as follows: Iturbide's attempt to create the road, which was finally completed by Lemaur; the adaptation to the CNFE;[note 1] the successive improvements to the N-IV road; the doubling of the roadway in the 1980s and finally the opening of the new A-4 highway.
By other way, the railway line maintain the same track (except minor fixes) since was built.