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  #1  
Old 22 Dec 2023
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Kolyma Highway aka Road of Bones
Has anyone been on the Kolyma Highway aka The Road Of Bones in the last 12 months? I rode to Vladivostok this year, but avoided the Kolyma Highway because it didn’t fit with my plans. Now I’m developing a serious itch and thinking of going there next summer. Not interested in the abandoned Summer Road section, just the main R504. Would like to find out what condition it’s recently been in.

Thanks on advance for any info.
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Old 22 Dec 2023
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Not *recent* experience but the road was made driveable all the way some years ago and new bridges built to bypass the old decrepit ones. The idea was to create a usable route connecting Magadan and its mines to the rest of Russia by road, so it's intended to be used - although it is a typical Russian dirt road, so the conditions can change.
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Old 24 Dec 2023
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Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post
Not *recent* experience but the road was made driveable all the way some years ago and new bridges built to bypass the old decrepit ones. The idea was to create a usable route connecting Magadan and its mines to the rest of Russia by road, so it's intended to be used - although it is a typical Russian dirt road, so the conditions can change.
The original federal plan was to get it paved by 2024, and if you ask me from what I saw 3mo ago it is ready to be paved in many parts. All bridges are built (last was built last year) and while there are some bad sections and road construction, most of it is dirt autobahn more or less.

And they don't put calcium chloride so it doesn't get that slippery when wet, but when it's dry dust whiteout is an issue. I almost went off on one occasion, and had a couple close calls with trucks.
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Old 22 Mar 2024
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In case anyone else has doubts on this topic, check Pavel's YT channel, Motorcycle Adventures around the world.

He went to Magadan in the summer of 2023. The roads looked ok in his videos, and gone are the days of crossing rotten wooden bridges, as SibirskyExtreem did back in the day.
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Old 22 Mar 2024
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Originally Posted by Nubra View Post
In case anyone else has doubts on this topic, check Pavel's YT channel, Motorcycle Adventures around the world.

He went to Magadan in the summer of 2023. The roads looked ok in his videos, and gone are the days of crossing rotten wooden bridges, as SibirskyExtreem did back in the day.
Looks like he took the federal highway, which, afaik, is ridable since years.
Rotten wooden bridges were (and probably still are) on the Old Summer Road
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Originally Posted by likorplf View Post
As of the last 12 months, the road's condition is reported to be mixed. Some parts, especially around Magadan, have been undergoing resurfacing and repairs, but there are still stretches that are rough, with sections of gravel, potholes, and even washed-out portions. Some areas are notorious for being muddy and treacherous during the warmer months, especially the summer, when seasonal rains can worsen conditions. Snow and ice can linger in the higher altitudes into late spring and early summer, so timing is crucial for when you plan your trip.
The most important consideration is the Aldan river - in the periods between the river ice starting to thaw in spring and being fully open for the ferry, and the opposite scenario in early winter, the river is impassable.
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