Transamazônica in the Amazon, Brazil

The Transamazônica, an almost impassable dirt road riddled with potholes and infringing forest throughout its 5000 km, connects Brazil's eastern and western extremities. And for no good reason. Millions of dollars were spent on constructing this road, while others of real economic importance in the east of the country were left to crumble. Together with grandiose and unnecessary schemes such as the Amazon dams, the Transamazônica was a major contributor to the country's national debt and to deforestation .