Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca Road System

Timeline

1. c. 1450–1532Cuzco · CuzcoThe Inca Empire extended paved trunk roads in all directions from Cuzco, establishing tambo relay stations where chasqui messengers and armies could change horses, connecting the coastal, highland, and jungle-edge provinces.
2. 1535Peru–Bolivia Andean corridor · Andes MountainsIn the 1530s, the forces of Pizarro and Almagro and the remnant Inca factions moved rapidly south and withdrew north along the Qhapaq Ñan; the roads and bridges became key infrastructure determining the pace of battles and logistical supply.
3. c. 1540–1800Viceroyalty of Peru · PeruThe Spanish colonial government reused and rerouted parts of the Inca trunk roads to connect silver mines, ports, and administrative centers; the structure of the original network influenced colonial road layouts, and remains are still visible even after independence.