The Autopista A1, also known as Autopista Nacional, is a Cuban motorway, partly built, that will link Havana to Guantánamo.[2] It is a toll-free road and its total length will be of about 900 km (560 mi). Along with the Autopista A4, linking Havana to Pinar del Río, it is classified as part of the whole Autopista Nacional route, spanning the length of the island; as the Carretera Central highway.

Autopista A1 shield}}
Autopista A1
Autopista Nacional
National Motorway
Map of the Cuban motorway network
AJM 020 Autopista Nacional.JPG
View of the A1 in Havana
Route information
Length900 km (560 mi)
Existed1979–present
Major junctions
West endCalle Central / Avenida Ciudamar (Havana)
Major intersections A2
2–400
CC (N–1, Mayabeque)
CS (4–12)
4–112
A1–1
CC (N–1, Sancti Spiritus)
4–66 / 4–531
Majá–Taguasco Road (to CC)
CC (N–1, Santiago)
6–371
Santiago Beltway
East end6–571 / West Beltway (Guantanamo)
Location
CountryCuba
Major citiesHavana, San José de las Lajas, Güines, Jagüey Grande, Aguada de Pasajeros, Santa Clara, Placetas, Cabaiguán, Sancti Spíritus, Jatibonico, Ciego de Ávila, Florida, Camagüey, Guáimaro, Las Tunas, Holguín, Bayamo,[1] Contramaestre, Palma Soriano, San Luis, Santiago de Cuba, La Maya, Guantánamo
Highway system

History

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The motorway, connected to the A4 via the Havana Ringroad (A2), was opened in 1979 from Havana to Santa Clara. Additional sections (2 in the Oriental region) were opened during the 1980s, but further work was interrupted in 1990 as the economic crisis of the "Special Period" (Spanish: Período especial) developed.

Route

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The A1 in Havana, next to a baseball stadium
 
The rest area "Kilómetro 141", in Jagüey Grande
 
The A1 at Santiago de Cuba
 
The end of the A1 in Taguasco from above

The A1, the longest motorway on the island, is a dual carriageway with 6 lanes (8 from Havana to San José de las Lajas), and has some at-grade intersections with rural roads. The operating sections are[3][2] the Havana-Santa Clara-Sancti Spíritus-Taguasco (354 km, main section), Palma Soriano-Santiago de Cuba (53 km) and La Maya-Guantánamo (41 km, sharing the Carretera Central route for 9 km).

 
Sign used for the A1, seen in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana

From the exit "Santa Clara-Manicaragua" to Taguasco, the A1 operates with a single carriageway, and from Taguasco to Jatibonico, it is under construction. Other sections under construction, both in Santiago de Cuba Province, are the one from Contramaestre to Palma Soriano, and the one from La Maya to the Palma-Santiago section, ending with the construction of a future interchange. The other section, passing through the provinces of Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín and Granma, has been planned.

AUTOPISTA A1 (Autopista Nacional)
Exit ↓km↓ Province Note
  Habana Centro 0.0 Havana  
  Habana San Miguel 0.4 Havana  
  Habana Coyula 2.1 Havana  
  Habana Carretera del Pitirre 4.6 Havana  
    Primer Anillo (Havana Ringroad)
(link to   Havana-Pinar and other motorways)
6.1 Havana  
    Habana Santa María del Rosario 8.3 Havana  
    Habana Cotorro 12.2 Havana  
     Tapaste-Pedro Pi 18.5 Mayabeque  
     San José de las Lajas
(Jamaica - Universidad Agraria)
22.6 Mayabeque  
    Jaruco-Zenea
(to San José de las Lajas south)
28.2 Mayabeque  
    Catalina de Güines
(to Madruga and the Carretera Central)
31.2 Mayabeque  
    Güines 42.8 Mayabeque  
    San Nicolás de Bari 51.2 Mayabeque  
  Rest area "Paladar de Lisette" (eastbound)
    Rest area "Paladar de Daisy" (westbound)
54.1 Mayabeque  
  Rest area "La Cocina Criolla" 59.8 Mayabeque  
  Vegas
(to San Nicolás, on the Circuito Sur)
63.0 Mayabeque  
  Nueva Paz 71.0 Mayabeque  
   Rest area "Kilómetro 79" 79.0 Mayabeque  
    Unión de Reyes 91.0 Matanzas  
    Bolondrón 104.0 Matanzas  
  Torriente-Pedro Betancourt 127.0 Matanzas  
    Varadero-Crimea
(road to Varadero via Jovellanos and Cárdenas)
135.0 Matanzas  
   Rest area "Kilómetro 141" 141.2 Matanzas  
    Jagüey Grande
(to the Ciénaga de Zapata)
141.2 Matanzas  
  Calimete 164.0 Matanzas  
   Rest area "Policentro" 171.8 Cienfuegos  
  Aguada de Pasajeros
(to Cienfuegos and Circuito Sur)
172.0 Cienfuegos  
  Las Cajas 183.0 Cienfuegos  
  Cinco de Septiembre-Turquino 206.0 Cienfuegos  
    Cartagena-Rodas 213.0 Cienfuegos  
  Piragua 213.0 Cienfuegos  
  Lajas 232.0 Cienfuegos  
    Ranchuelo
(to Cienfuegos)
249.0 Villa Clara  
    Santa Clara
(  6-km ringroad to Santa Clara city center)
261.0 Villa Clara  
    Santa Clara-Manicaragua 270.0 Villa Clara  
  Báez-Guaracabulla 296.0 Villa Clara 1 cgw.
    Placetas-Fomento 302.0 Villa Clara 1 cgw.
    Cabaiguán-Placetas
(Carretera Central)
323.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
  Cabaiguán 329.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
  Guayos 332.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
     Sancti Spíritus–Yaguajay
(  10-km motorway to Sancti Spíritus city center)
336.0 Sancti Spíritus  
  Zaza del Medio 343.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
  Siguaney 349.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
  Taguasco 354.0 Sancti Spíritus 1 cgw.
    Jatibonico (under construction) 365.0 Sancti Spíritus  
Jatibonico–Camagüey–Holguín–Contramaestre section
(planned: listed possible future exits)
  Majagua (planned)   Ciego de Ávila  
  Jicotea (planned)   Ciego de Ávila  
  Ciego de Ávila (planned)
(to Morón)
407 (ca.) Ciego de Ávila  
  Baraguá-Colorado (planned)   Ciego de Ávila  
  Gaspar (planned)   Ciego de Ávila  
  Céspedes (planned)   Camagüey  
  Florida (planned)   Camagüey  
  Camagüey Oeste (planned)   Camagüey  
  Camagüey Este (planned) 512 (ca.) Camagüey  
  Jimaguayú (planned)   Camagüey  
  Siboney (planned)   Camagüey  
  Sibanicú (planned)   Camagüey  
  Cascorro (planned)   Camagüey  
  Guáimaro (planned)   Camagüey  
  Bartle-Jobabo (planned)   Las Tunas  
  Las Tunas (planned) 620 (ca.) Las Tunas  
  Calixto (planned)   Las Tunas  
  Majibacoa (planned)   Las Tunas  
  Buenaventura (planned)   Holguín  
  Holguín-Maceo (planned, not finalized)
(possible ringroad to Holguín city center)
673 (ca.) Holguín  
  Cacocum (planned, not finalized)   Holguín  
  Cauto Cristo (planned, not finalized)   Granma  
  Bayamo-Babiney (planned, not finalized)
(to Manzanillo, possible ringroad to Bayamo city center)
713 (ca.) Granma  
  Jiguaní (planned, not finalized)   Granma  
Contramaestre–Palma–San Luis–Santiago section
  Contramaestre (under construction) 0.0
(738 ca.)
Santiago  
  Laguna Blanca (under construction) 5.9 Santiago  
  Oriente (under construction) 18.2 Santiago  
  Candonga (under construction) 22.9 Santiago  
  Palma Soriano-Dos Ríos 29.2 Santiago 1 cgw.
  Palma Soriano 32.2
(770 ca.)
Santiago 1 cgw.
  Rest area 39.1 Santiago 1 cgw.
  San Luis 44.6
(782 ca.)
Santiago  
  Dos Caminos
(Carretera Central)
52.7 Santiago  
    to Guantánamo (planned) 54.0
(792 ca.)
Santiago  
  El Cristo
(to Guantánamo and Alto Songo)
59.6 Santiago  
  Bonaito 66.3 Santiago  
  Santiago Cubitas 68.2 Santiago  
  Santiago Centro
(  2-km beltway to Santiago city center)
70.3
(808 ca.)
Santiago  
  Santiago Universidad de Oriente 71.5 Santiago  
  Santiago-El Caney 72.7 Santiago  
  Santiago-Siboney 75.0 Santiago  
  Santiago 30 de Noviembre 76.7 Santiago  
  Santiago Chicharrones 78.4 Santiago  
    Santiago Aeropuerto 82.3
(820 ca.)
Santiago  
San Luis–La Maya–Guantánamo section
    to Santiago / San Luis (planned) 0.0
(792 ca.)
Santiago  
  Santa Cruz (planned) 4.9 Santiago  
  Alto Songo (under construction) 8.4 Santiago  
  La Maya (new) (under construction) 14.4 Santiago  
  La Maya 20.7
(813 ca.)
Santiago 1 cgw.
  La Sabana 25.0 Santiago 1 cgw.
  Los Reynaldos 28.6 Santiago 1 cgw.
  La Perla 34.8 Santiago 1 cgw.
  Yerba de Guinea 38.5 Santiago CC route
  Costa Rica 42.8 Guantánamo CC route
  Niceto Pérez 47.7 Guantánamo CC route
  Guantánamo Oeste 59.2 Guantánamo  
  Guantánamo 61.5
(853 ca.)
Guantánamo  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ A1 project through Granma and Holguín provinces is yet undefined
  2. ^ a b Source: Mapa de Carreteras de Cuba (Road map of Cuba). Ediciones GEO, Havana 2011 - ISBN 959-7049-21-X
  3. ^ Satellite images of Cuba at Google Maps
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  Media related to Autopista A1 (Cuba) at Wikimedia Commons