From Amazon Rainforest to Pamir Plateau: Infrastructure Projects at the Ends of the Earth

There are places where infrastructure construction is a challenge against nature. Frozen deserts, remote plateaus, impenetrable jungles, mountains that touch the sky.

These are construction sites at the ends of the earth, where major infrastructure projects grapple with the impossible. From the Arctic Circle to the Amazon rainforest, from Patagonia to the Asian deserts, engineering here isn’t just about technique, but about the ability to adapt to remote, often hostile lands—extreme places that tell stories of people and engineering feats.

Resilient materials, extreme logistics, and operational self-sufficiency are essential. But above all, it requires vision: because building ifrastructures in these places means opening new routes, connecting territories, and generating development.

Infrastructural projects like the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan or the Carretera Austral in Patagonia, as well as the GERD dam, built by the Webuild Group in Ethiopia on the waters of the Blue Nile (a few kilometers from Sudan), show that engineering can go anywhere—even to places that, just a few decades ago, could only be reached on foot, or not at all.

Construction sites at the edge of the world are the final frontier of modern engineering—where nature sets the rules, and humanity—through respect and intelligence—tries to chart new paths.

An emblematic example of construction sites at the ends of the earth is the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, built by the Webuild Group and set to become the world’s tallest rockfill dam. The imposing structure will be 335 meters high and will rise along the Vakhsh River, nestled in the mountains of Central Asia, in a climate characterized by freezing winters and summer storms. The context is made even more complex by the fact that Tajikistan is a landlocked country with a unique morphology, which gives it enormous hydroelectric potential.

The Rogun construction site is perfectly integrated into this natural environment. Located at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, it is now inhabited by thousands of people working to complete the project. The weather and natural conditions are an integral part of this project, and many of the essential operations for the dam’s construction are significantly affected by the climate.

Similarly, high complexity arises from the logistics, given the remote location of the site. The start of work required a series of preparatory tasks, such as the construction of access roads, camps for expatriate personnel, and industrial installations for the startup and smooth execution of project activities.

This considerable effort is justified by the strategic value of the dam, which, once completed, will become one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Central Asia, with an installed capacity equivalent to three nuclear reactors and the ability to supply hydroelectric power not only to Tajikistan but also to several other countries in the region. In fact, the Rogun plant will double energy production, making it available to 10 million people in a country where about 70% of the population experiences power outages, especially during the winter months.

The Arctic regions are just as harsh but haven’t given up on the ambition to host infrastructure projects that can boost development.

In Alaska, the construction of bridges and viaducts along the Dalton Highway—also known as Alaska Route 11, connecting the Elliott Highway near Livengood to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay—required unique engineering techniques. The structures must be built on permafrost, the permanently frozen ground that risks deformation with even the slightest temperature increase.

To prevent collapses, roadway pillars are installed on deep thermally insulated foundation piles, while construction materials must withstand thermal swings ranging from -40°C to +25°C.

Work takes place during the summer, often under the curious gaze of polar bears. In winter, everything stops: the cold becomes absolute.

In Chile, another extreme site gave rise to the Carretera Austral—a road over 1,200 kilometers long with more than 15,000 meters of elevation gain. It connects Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins, passing through glaciers, fjords, and rainforests in Patagonia.

Commissioned by dictator Augusto Pinochet for military purposes, its construction spanned decades, from 1976 to 1996. The main challenges were due to the fragmented and rugged nature of the terrain.

Tunnel drilling or bridge construction among the Andes glaciers and numerous rivers and lakes meant confronting landslides, relentless rains, and vegetation so dense it had to be cleared manually.

Much of the road is unpaved, with paved sections requiring constant maintenance and work. Even today, some stretches are closed during winter due to snowfall and river flooding.

The Carretera Austral isn’t just an infrastructure; it’s a thread that holds isolated communities together, amidst wild nature and resilience.

In the Amazon forest, humans build literally among the trees. In Brazil, the construction of dams and hydroelectric plants, like the Belo Monte facility on the Xingu River, stands as one of the most challenging projects ever undertaken in such a delicate rainforest ecosystem.

Construction sites here contend with constant humidity, the risk of tropical diseases, and river transport. Every activity undergoes continuous environmental monitoring to ensure respect for Amazon forest people and biodiversity.

In the Amazon forest, engineering must speak the language of the forest.

Even in the Australian desert, engineering has reached and surpassed its limits. Building the Northern Gas Pipeline involved laying 662 kilometers of pipeline through completely uninhabited areas under the blistering sun of the Northern Territory.

To carry out this infrastructural project, the workforce had to operate under extreme isolation, with temperatures above 45°C and constant risk of sandstorms.

Far from everything, materials arrived with special convoys, organized to cope with the isolation and ensure water, fuel, spare parts, and safety.