Building the world's loneliest road

Date: Friday, 06. November 2009

Not quite a century ago it was the ultimate explorer adventure. Now a new ice road will open up Antarctica and make the South Pole a 10-day drive from McMurdo sound. It will traverse mountain ranges and 10,000 foot thick ice sheets, and open up the last great wilderness to exploration.

Once the road is opened up it will only have to be cleared each spring by snow ploughs and bulldozers, and it will make possible regular convoys of caterpillar tractors, towing trailers at speeds of up to 8 mph. However, not everyone is pleased at the prospect. Some environmentalists fear it will open up the Pole area to oil prospecting.