The Inca road system was used to keep the growing empire that Patchacuti had together(Clough). It unified the entire Inca empire under him(Clough). The road was used for processions and ceremonies like “The Procession of the Llama,” where the Incas would lead a parade of Llamas down the roads(Clough). This was done to celebrate the Llamas’ involvement in building the road and their community(Clough). Miners who worked in the quarries in the Inca empire also used the road often(Hirst). They carried the valuable metals mined by the Incas, this being mostly silver, but also some copper and tin.

The road has impacted the region's trade since it was built. When it was originally built, it was used as a trade and communication route between the expanding empire’s cities(Cartwright). The merchants of the Inca empire traveled between the cities and also used the road to trade with other people outside of the empire(Hirst). When the Spanish invaded the Incas in 1533, the Incas used the roads to mobilize their army against the Spanish(Weisberger). Alas, it was not enough. The Spanish used the road to trade and move their army around even once they had conquered the Incas(Weisberger).