The Little Hell Bridge of Peru

Ferrocarril Central Andino, in the Andes, is the second highest railway in the world, after the Qingzang railway in Tibet. It is one of the most notable due to the great technical challenges faced and overcome while laying the line. The line starts in the port city of Callao, at almost sea level, then passes by Lima city and then reaches the peak altitude of 4,818 m in the Anticona pass (Ticlio, Lima). It continues until it reaches the mining town of La Oroya, where the railway forks—one to Cerro de Pasco and the other to Huancayo and Huancavelica. With 58 bridges, 69 tunnels (including the second highest railroad tunnel in the world), and 6 switchbacks, the ride along this route is a major attraction for travellers.

One of the most famous bridges encountered along Lima to La Oroya line is the Infiernillo or the ‘Little Hell’ Bridge, located in a narrow canyon between two tunnels. The track emerges from a tunnel on a vertical cliff, crosses the bridge, and immediately enters another tunnel in a vertical cliff. Underneath the bridge flows the Rimac River, and adjacent to it runs the Carretera Central main highway. The bridge is located at a height of 3,300 m above sea level. It was built in 1908 by the American Bridge Company and has a length of 62.78 m. The tunnel at its both ends gives the bridge the most dramatic appearance.