National Route 1 (Vietnam)

National Route 1 (Vietnamese: Quốc lộ 1 (or abbrv. QL.1) or Đường 1), also known as National Route 1A, is the trans-Vietnam highway. The route begins at km 0 at Hữu Nghị Quan Border Gate near the China-Vietnam border,^[1] runs the length of the country connecting major cities including Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and ends at km 2301.34^[2] at Năm Căn township in Cà Mau province.

National Route 1
Quốc lộ 1
National Route 1 (CT.01) near Từ Sơn, Bắc Ninh province
Route information
Part of AH1
Length	2,301.340 km (1,429.986 mi)
Existed	Early 20th century–present
Major junctions
North end	G322 at Hữu Nghị Quan Border Gate, Chinese border
Major intersections	in Đồng Đăng, Cao Lộc District, Lạng Sơn province in Lạng Sơn, Lạng Sơn province in Kép, Lạng Giang District, Bắc Giang province in Hồng Thái Commune, Việt Yên, Bắc Giang province in Bắc Ninh, Bắc Ninh province at Ninh Xá Junction, Bắc Ninh, Bắc Ninh province in Võ Cường Ward, Bắc Ninh, Bắc Ninh province AH14 at Chui Bridge, Long Biên District, Hanoi in Phủ Lý, Hà Nam province in Ninh Bình, Ninh Bình province in Tào Xuyên Ward, Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hóa province in Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hóa province in Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hóa province at Yên Lý Junction, Diễn Yên Commune, Diễn Châu District, Nghệ An province in Diễn Châu, Diễn Châu District, Nghệ An province in Vinh, Nghệ An province in Vinh, Nghệ An province AH131 in Ba Đồn, Quảng Trạch District, Quảng Bình province AH16 in Đông Hà, Quảng Trị province in Đông Hà, Quảng Trị province Hồ Chí Minh Highway in Triệu Giang Commune, Triệu Phong District, Quảng Trị province AH17 in Hòa Vang District, Quảng Nam province at Cây Cốc Junction, Thăng Bình District, Quảng Nam province at Quán Cơm Hill, Sơn Tịnh, Sơn Tịnh District, Quảng Ngãi province AH132 at Thạch Trụ Junction, Đức Lân Commune, Mộ Đức District, Quảng Ngãi province in An Nhơn District, Bình Định province in Quy Nhơn, Bình Định province in Sông Cầu District, Phú Yên province in Tuy Hòa, Phú Yên province in Ninh Hòa, Khánh Hòa province at Rù Rì Pass in Vĩnh Lương Commune, Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa province in Diên Khánh, Diên Khánh District, Khánh Hòa province near Cam Thịnh Đông Commune, Cam Ranh, Khánh Hòa province in Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm, Ninh Thuận province in Phan Thiết, Bình Thuận province at Hàm Tân Junction, Tân Nghĩa Commune, Hàm Tân, Bình Thuận province at Tân Phong Junction, Xuân Tân Commune, Long Khánh, Đồng Nai province in Hố Nai Ward, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai province AH17 near Long Bình Tân Ward, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai province at Tam Hiệp Junction, Tam Hiệp Ward, Tam Hiệp District, Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai province at Station 2 interchange in Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh city at Linh Xuân intersection, Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh City TL 43 at Sóng Thần intersection in Tam Bình Ward, Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh City AH17 at Bình Phước intersection in Hiệp Bình Phước Ward, Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh City AH1 at An Sương intersection in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City–Trung Luong Expressway at Chợ Đệm intersection in Bình Chánh District, Hồ Chí Minh City in Tân An, Long An province in Ward 10, Mỹ Tho, Tiền Giang province at An Hữu Junction, Cái Bè District, Tiền Giang province at Mỹ Thuận Bridge, Vĩnh Long, Vĩnh Long province at Cái Vồn, Bình Minh District, Vĩnh Long province at Cái Tắc Junction, Cái Tắc, Châu Thành A District, Hậu Giang province in Ward 7, Sóc Trăng, Sóc Trăng province
South end	Năm Căn town, Năm Căn district, Cà Mau province
Location
Country	Vietnam
Highway system
Transport in Vietnam
← QL 279 → QL 1B

Road layout

National Route 1 runs across provinces and cities of Vietnam:

• Lạng Sơn (km 16)
• Bắc Giang (km 119)
• Bắc Ninh (km 139)
• City of Hanoi (the capital) (km 171)
• Phủ Lý (km 229, province of Hà Nam)
• Ninh Bình (km 263)
• Thanh Hóa (km 324)
• Vinh (km 462, Nghệ An)
• Hà Tĩnh (km 510)
• Đồng Hới (km 660, province of Quảng Bình)
• Đông Hà (km 756, province of Quảng Trị)
• City of Huế (km 825)
• City of Da Nang (km 930)
• Tam Kỳ (km 991, province of Quảng Nam)
• Quảng Ngãi (km 1054)
• via 1D: Quy Nhơn (km 1232, province of Bình Định)
• Tuy Hòa (km 1329, province of Phú Yên)
• via 1C: Nha Trang (km 1450, province of Khánh Hòa)
• Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm (km 1528, province of Ninh Thuận)
• Phan Thiết (km 1701, province of Bình Thuận)
• Biên Hòa (km 1867, province of Đồng Nai)
• Ho Chi Minh City (km 1890)
• Tân An (km 1936, province of Long An)
• Mỹ Tho (km 1959, province of Tiền Giang)
• Vĩnh Long (km 2024)
• Cần Thơ City (km 2058)
• Hậu Giang province, km a to km b)
• Sóc Trăng (km 2119, province of Sóc Trăng)
• Bạc Liêu (km 2176)
• Cà Mau (km 2236, province of Cà Mau)

Specifications

• Total length 2,300.45 km ^[1]
• Road width: 10–12 m
• Road surface: paved with asphalt
• Total bridges: 874 bridges, bridge load varies from 25 to 30 metric tonnes

History

The highway circa 1968

The National Route 1 was constructed by the French colonists in early 20th century. It has been upgraded recently by Japanese ODA as well as loans from World Bank. During both the First Indochina War and Second Indochina War (the Vietnam War), Road 1A was the site of a number of battles between Vietnamese forces and French or American troops. One of the most notable engagements was the French Operation Camargue in 1953.

In South Vietnam, there were two divided sections of the main highway from Quảng Trị to Ba Xuyên (Cà Mau): QL-1 (National Highway 1) and QL-4 (National Highway 4). Extensive upgrade work was done on the QL-1, and QL-19 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers^[3] during the 2nd Indo China War. In 1966 the 19th Engineer Battalion began to "upgrade highway QL-1 from virtually a dirt trail, to a class 31 all-weather road,^[4] from Qui Nhơn north to Bong Son." By 1970, the QL-1 had been upgraded all the way to Mo Duc. QL-1 bypass the route around Saigon-Biên Hòa. In the Mekong Delta, NH4 (now National Highway 1A) stretches distance of Long An province to Ba Xuyen (Cà Mau) province.

Future

The central section of the highway, from Hữu Nghị Border Gate to Cà Mau, is planned to be duplicated by the North–South Expressway.