Not sure how exactly we should define “Highway”, but by no means the Karakoram Highway is the highest paved highway. Here some precisions:
MichaelJ wrote:the Tibet Friendship Highway runs through two passes claimed to be over 5,000 meters
The Friendship Highway (road G318) has 3 actually passes over 5’000m in its stretch between Lhasa and the Nepal border. The altitude may vary considerably according to the maps, here below the GPS readings:
1) Gyatso La, altitude 5260m, located between Lhatse and Tingri (in some maps Gyatso La is mentioned as as Langpa La / Lagpa La / Lhakpa La / Maphu La), Lat28°57'06"N Lon 87°26'15"E
2) Lalung La, alt. 5025m, located between Tingri and Nyalam, Lat 28°36'50"N Lon 86°08'08.90"E
3) Thong La, altitude 5146m, located between Tingri and Nyalam (in some maps Thong La is mentioned as Yakri Shungla), Lat 28°30'59.20"N Lon 86°10'01.60"E
MichaelJ wrote:The Friendship Highway is just about completely paved now
Correct, but the highest pass on the road at an altitude 5260m, Gyatso La, is paved since 2005 or 2006. So the recent paving in 2009 of the stretch between Tingri and the border (including Lalung La and Thong La) had no influence on the “highest paved highway” title.
MichaelJ wrote:so it would seem to be the winner
By your definition of paved highway, yes the FH is probably is the highest since 2005-2006 (paving of Gyatso La), but the previous “winner” was not Khunjerab pass, neither other passes in the Andes. Tanggu La (also spelled Dang La or Tanggula Shankou) located on the Qinghai – Tibet Higway (road G109) is the highest pass on the road, with an altitude of 5230m. My guess is that this road is asphalted since a few decades, although I’m not sure since when exactly.
butitsadryheat wrote:Corax's page on the front page talks of roads over 5400m. The Xinjiang Highway (same?).
There are several unpaved highways with passes over 5400m, but the highest isn’t precisely on the Xinjiang – Tibet Highway (road G219 between Kargilik and Lhatse). The highest pass is actually Semo La, Lat 30°06'36.0"N Lon 85°25'54.1"E, with an altitude of 5565m. Semo La is located on road S206 between Raga and Gertse; road S206 may correspond to the definition of a highway, in the sense that it is the most transited road between Lhasa/Shigatse and Ali in western Tibet. My guess is that it will be asphalted over the next few years.