Freeway 1 (Iraq)
Freeway 1 | |
|---|---|
| ١ طريق المرور السريع رقم (Arabic) | |
| M1 | |
Map Route of the Freeway 1 | |
| Route information | |
Part of    M5 / M30 / M40 | |
| Length | 1,200 km (750 mi) |
| Existed | 1990–present |
| Location | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Highway system | |
Freeway 1 (Arabic: طريق المرور السريع رقم 1) is the first and longest freeway in Iraq. It is 1,200 kilometers (750 mi) long. It extends from Umm Qasr Port in Basra to Ar Rutba in Anbar, where it spreads into a new freeway with same number towards Syria and Jordan.
The part of the freeway from Nasiriyah to Al Diwaniyah is a single carriageway, because the second carriageway has not been completed.
History
After a visit to the United States in 1983, Saddam Hussein was fascinated by the extensive Interstate and Highway network in the USA and wanted a similar endeavour for Iraq. Thus started construction on the Freeway and Highway Network of Iraq, which led to large interchange constructions and paving of roads across the country. In the following years, multiple smaller branch freeways were constructed alongside the main route 1 like the M31 linking Central Basra and the M97 Central Baghdad to the M1.