National Highway 1 (India)

National Highway 1

NH 1 through the Himalayan mountains

Route information

Maintained by BRO

Length

534 km (332 mi)

Major junctions

East end

NH 3, Leh

NH 44, Srinagar

West end

S-3 Strategic Highway, Hattian Bala

Location

Country

India

States

Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh

Primary
destinations

Baramulla, Srinagar, Kargil

Highway system

Roads in India

←

NH 87

→

NH 301

National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D.^[1]^[2] The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system,^[2] that it is the northernmost East-West highway in India.

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History

A track between Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley and Leh in Ladakh had existed since medieval times, and it was a prime trade route for many centuries. It passed through the Zoji La pass—3,528 metres (11,575 ft)—over the Great Himalayan range, which is snowbound for half the year.

After the Independence of India, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir started building a motorable road along the route in 1954.^[3] The construction was suspended in 1958 after discovery of corruption among the contractors and engineers, and an enquiry was initiated.^[3]^[4] In 1960, the Government of India created the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to take charge of strategic border roads and it was entrusted with completing the road. Setting up a 'Project Beacon' in Leh, the BRO completed the road by August 1962, and also extended it to Chushul by September 1962, just a few weeks before hostilities were initiated by China.^[5]

In addition to the Zoji La pass, the highway also had to cross the Ladakh Range between Kargil and Leh, via the Fotu La pass—4,108 metres (13,478 ft)—which is however less snowbound than Zoji La.

A segment of the highway came under attack by Pakistani intruders between Drass and Kargil in 1999, who occupied the mountain tops on the Indian side of the Line of Control and shelled the highway. This led to the Kargil War, which ended by the Indian Army eventually evicting the intruders.

Route description

NH 1 passes from Uri to Baramulla, Srinagar, Sonamarg, Zoji La, Dras, Kargil and Leh. The route passes through high mountain passes and most of the road clings to mountainsides. The NH is the lifeline of the Ladakh region. An alternative route, the Leh-Manali Highway, exists but it climbs over even higher mountain passes. NH 1 passes near the India-Pakistan border.

Major intersections

District	Location	km^[6]	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Leh	Leh	0.0	0.0	NH 3	East end
Kargil	Kargil	217.4	135.1	NH 301
Budgam	Srinagar	431.4	268.1	NH 444
Srinagar		445.1	276.6	NH 44	old NH1A
Baramulla	Baramulla	510.3	317.1	NH 701A
	Baramulla	510.6	317.3	NH 701
		574.1	356.7	S-3 Strategic Highway	West end
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Traffic

The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey.

References

^ "New National Highways notification - GOI" (PDF). The Gazette of India. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Rationalisation of Numbering Systems of National Highways" (PDF). New Delhi: Department of Road Transport and Highways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
^ ^a ^b Das 2021, p. 100.
^ Kavic, Lorne J. (2021) [1967], India's Quest for Security: Defence Policies 1947-1965, Univ of California Press, p. 51, ISBN 978-0-520-33159-4
^ Das 2021, pp. 101–102.
^ "Google Maps".

Bibliography

Das, Pushpita (2021), India's Approach to Border Management: From Barriers to Bridges (PDF), KW Publishers & Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

External links

NH 1 on OpenStreetMap

Wikimedia Commons has media related to NH 1 (India).

v t e Highways in India
Expressways	Agra–Lucknow Ahmedabad–Vadodara Ambala–Chandigarh Bangalore Elevated Belghoria Chennai Bypass Chennai ORR Delhi–Faridabad Delhi–Gurgaon Delhi–Meerut Delhi–Noida Delhi Eastern Peripheral Delhi Western Peripheral Noida–Greater Noida Himalayan Hyderabad Elevated Hyderabad ORR Jaipur–Kishangarh Mumbai–Pune Mumbai–Nashik Mumbai Eastern Mumbai Western Panipat Elevated Purvanchal Raipur–Bhilai–Durg Trans-Haryana Expressway Vijayawada–Hyderabad Yamuna
National Highways (list)	1 301 501 701 701A 2 102 102A 102B 102C 202 302 502 502A 702 702A 702B 702C 702D 3 103 303 503 503A 703 703A 703B 4 5 105 105B 205 205A 305 505 505A 705 6 106 206 306 306A 7 107 107A 307 507 707 707A 907 907A 907G 8 108 108A 108B 208 208A 9 109 109K 309 309A 309B 509 709 709A 709AD 709B 10 110 310 310A 510 710 11 311 911 911A 12 112 312 512 13 113 313 513 713 713A 14 114 114A 314 15 115 215 315 315A 415 515 715 715A 16 116 116A 116B 216 216A 316 316A 516 516A 516C 516D 516E 716 716A 716B 17 117 117A 217 317 317A 517 717 717A 717B 18 118 218 19 119 219 319 319D 419 519 719 919 20 120 220 320 320D 320G 520 720 21 321 321G 921 22 122 122A 122B 322 522 722 922 23 123 24 124C 124D 25 125 325 925 925A 26 126 126A 326 326A 27 127 127A 127B 127C 127D 127E 227 227A 227F 227J 227L 327 327A 327AD 327B 327C 427 527 527A 527B 527C 527D 527E 627 727 727A 727AA 727B 727BB 727G 727H 927 927A 927D 28 128 128A 128B 128C 328 328A 29 129 129A 229 329 329A 30 130 130A 130B 130C 130CD 130D 230 330 330A 330B 330D 530 530B 730 730A 730B 730C 730H 730S 930 930D 31 131 131A 231 331 431 531 731 731A 731AG 731K 931 931A 32 132 132B 332 332A 532 33 133 133A 133B 333 333A 333B 333C 34 134 234 334 334A 334B 334C 334D 334DD 534 734 934 35 135 135A 135B 135BB 135BD 135BG 135C 335 36 136 136B 336 536 37 137 137A 38 138 338 39 139 339 339B 539 40 140 340 340C 41 141 341 42 43 143 143A 143AG 143B 143D 143H 343 543 943 44 144 144A 244 244A 344 344A 344B 344M 444 444A 544 544D 544DD 544E 544H 744 744A 844 944 45 46 146 146B 346 47 147 147A 147D 147E 247 347 347A 347B 347BG 347C 547 547E 647 947 48 148 148AE 148B 148BB 148C 148D 148M 148N 148NA 248 248A 248BB 348 348A 348B 348BB 448 548 548A 548B 548C 548CC 548D 548DD 548E 548H 648 748 748AA 848 848A 848B 948 948A 49 149 149B 50 150 150A 150E 51 151 151A 251 351 351F 751 751D 751DD 52 152 152A 152D 352 352A 352R 352W 552 552G 652 752 752B 752C 752E 752G 752H 752I 752K 53 153 153B 353 353B 353C 353D 353E 353I 353J 353K 753 753A 753AB 753B 753BB 753C 753E 753F 753H 753J 753L 753M 953 54 154 154A 254 354 354B 354E 754 754K 954 55 655 56 156 756 57 157 157A 58 158 458 758 59 60 160 160A 160B 160C 160D 160H 360 61 161 161A 161AA 161B 161BB 161E 161G 161H 361 361B 361C 361F 361H 461B 561 561A 761 62 162 162A 63 163 163A 363 563 64 65 165 365 365A 365B 365BB 465 565 765 765D 965 965C 965D 965DD 965G 66 166 166A 166D 166E 166F 166G 166H 266 366 566 766 766C 766E 766EE 966 966A 966B 67 167 167A 167B 167BG 367 367A 68 168 168A 968 69 169 169A 369 369E 70 71 73 173 373 75 275 275K 77 79 179A 179B 179D 81 181 381 381A 381B 83 183 183A 383 85 185 785 87
State highways	Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Odisha Puducherry Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Telangana Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal
Notable	Arunachal Frontier Highway Golden Quadrilateral Grand Trunk Road North–South and East–West Corridor