A baffled Brazilian road user filmed his disbelief at a freshly-painted cycle lane running through the middle of a dual carriageway without any barriers.
The clip – filmed in Canto do Buriti – shows how the narrow, two-way lane passes down the middle of the main road where the central reservation should be.
There are no barriers on either side of the cycle path, meaning a bike trip along the road would involve a terrifying dice with death.
According to local road officials, the route seen in the footage – which was shared by the popular Instagram page “akiebike.mg” – is plied by HGVs.
The page admin asked its 55,000 followers: “Does anyone know if this bike lane in Piaui state really exists? Because I can’t believe it.
“If it does exist, would you dare to ride your bike on it?”
At the time of writing, the clip had been watched 23,000 times.
Netizens had fun in the comments section, with one joking: “This tarmac here in Piaui? I doubt it!”
Another quipped: “If it doesn’t hit you on the way there, it will hit you on the way back.”
Engineer Kidner Prospero told local media: “Common sense tells us that this puts the cyclist in danger. Best practice does not recommend making this type of bike lane.
“So ideally, a bike lane should be made on the side of the road, or if it is maintained in the middle, barriers should be installed.”
According to local media, the Department of Roads has stated that the carriageway is currently under renovation and that the bike lane will be moved to the side.
The project, which has a budget of BRL 5 million (GBP 939,000), will also see repairs to the tarmac along a 4.2-kilometre- (2.6-mile-) long stretch.
The Department of Roads said in a statement: “As the section is still under construction, the bike lane’s relocation to the side will be the next step.
“The department reaffirms that this intervention is beneficial for urban mobility and contributes significantly to traffic flow, as the entire region is a route for heavy vehicle traffic.”
