Ring roads are typically seen as an efficient way to get motorists around a city in record time, with the majority being fast-paced, free from heavy traffic, and easy to navigate.
In the UK, the largest ring road is undoubtedly the M25, which spans the 117-mile journey around London. When it first opened in 1985, it was considered to be the longest ring road in the world, however a newer alternative is ten times the size.
National Highway 01 in Afghanistan currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s longest ring road, spanning 2,092km (1,300 miles) and connecting large parts of the country.
The incredible road connects 10 major cities within Afghanistan and passes through 16 of its provinces, giving motorists quick access throughout the country.
As a result of its huge scale, 35 percent of the country’s population live within a 31-mile distance of one of the ring road’s many stretches.
Whilst various parts of the National Highway 01 can be traced back to the 1960s, the ring road was ultimately completed in late 2003, being partially funded by America and Saudi Arabia.
Different stretches of the highway were either constructed or heavily refurbished by a number of foreign companies and governments from countries including India, Turky, Japan, Iran, and Pakistan.
Despite only featuring two lanes, rather than the six found on a conventional UK motorway, the road is of high importance to residents and local businesses.
The National Highway 01 is largely comprised of three parts, with the longest spanning the 300-mile distance between Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and Kandahar.
The next stretch of the record-breaking road takes motorists to Herat, an oasis city that historically formed a part of the Silk Road that connected Central Asia to Europe.
Finally, motorists travel through Jalalabad, the largest city in eastern Afghanistan, before returning to Kabul. This stretch of the journey is notable for its high amount of twists and turns which run alongside steep cliff faces. Whilst it offers drivers spectacular views, many drivers are killed on the stretch of road each year.
Whilst the Afghan National Highway 01 holds the world record for being the longest ring road, there are many others that connect a wide range of cities.
The second-largest is the Golden Ring of Russia, which has been a part of the country since 1967 and links up five historic cities including Sergiyev Posad, Rostov Velikiy, and Kostroma over the space of 941 miles.
Iceland’s Route 1 is also noted for its length, with the ring road circling the entire country. Often considered to be the most important piece of transport infrastructure the Scandinavian nation has, drivers travelling the full distance will cover 828 miles.