The Inca Empire built and administered the Qhapaq Ñan, an extensive road network crossing the Andes of western South America.
The network linked the imperial capital of Cusco with provincial centers, agricultural zones, military outposts, and religious sites. Its routes crossed deserts, valleys, high plateaus, and steep mountain passes. Rather than being a single paved highway, the Qhapaq Ñan was a connected system adapted to varied terrain.
Engineers used stone paving, stairs, drainage channels, retaining walls, suspension bridges, and causeways. Relay runners called chasquis carried messages, while way stations known as tambos supported travelers and state officials. The roads helped the empire move armies, collect resources, and administer territory without a wheeled transport system.
The Inca state expanded rapidly during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries before Spanish conquest disrupted it. Parts of the network remain in use today. In 2014, six South American countries jointly received UNESCO World Heritage recognition for the Qhapaq Ñan: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.