Photos: Is this the most dangerous road in the world?

Nice curves: Norway’s picturesque Atlantic Ocean Road includes the iconic Storseisundet Bridge

A dramatic video with over eight million views on YouTube reveals the treacherous conditions that motorists regularly face on Norway’s picturesque Atlantic Ocean Road.

In good weather, the five-mile stretch offers breath-taking scenery along the Scandinavian country’s western coast.

But when the weather takes an ugly turn, cars are lashed by powerful wind gusts and pounded by large waves that send frigid water crashing over barricades or the rocky shore.

With stormy skies above and turbulent waters below, the nearly four-minute video shows the daunting journey from a driver’s point of view.
One of the most popular spots on the route is its iconic Storseisundet Bridge, known locally as ‘the drunk bridge’ due to its unusual appearance.
It has been featured in advertisements and lures thousands of tourists each year to a route that has been hailed as one of the world's best for a holiday road trip.

With a curve that protrudes over the Norwegian Sea, the 850-ft bridge plays a visual trick on approaching motorists.
It appears that the ‘bridge to nowhere’ drops off into the sea, but it’s just an optical illusion given the angle of the span.
Offering a series of exhilarating twists and turns, Atlantic Ocean Road is unsheltered from the North Atlantic Ocean, putting it at the mercy of the elements.

Now 25 years old, Atlantic Ocean Road passes through an archipelago as it links mainland Norway with the island of Averoy, and is one of the country’s official national tourist routes.

Over the six years that it took to construct, workers struggled with the region's wild weather and were interrupted by 12 hurricanes, according to the country's tourist bureau.  

There are several tourist stops along the way, including the Kvernes Stave Church, the Bremsnes Cave and popular fishing spots, although the road and its rocky shore have a dangerous reputation.

In 2013, an Israeli tourist was swept away after he fell into the sea while admiring the view from the roadside. 

With a curve that protrudes over the Norwegian Sea, the 850-ft bridge plays a visual trick on approaching motorists

For approaching motorists it appears that the ‘bridge to nowhere’ drops off into the sea, but it’s just an optical illusion

Open road: In bad weather, cars are pounded by large waves and whipped by powerful wind gusts

In good weather, the five-mile stretch offers breath-taking scenery along the Scandinavian country’s western coast

Atlantic Ocean Road has been hailed as one of the world's best for a holiday road trip

Atlantic Ocean Road passes through an archipelago and links mainland Norway with the island of Averoy

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Road trip: Storseisundet Bridge is one of the features that lures thousands of tourists to the oceanfront route every year

Atlantic Ocean Road is unsheltered from the North Atlantic Ocean, putting it at the mercy of the elements

Source: Daily Mail