Route Nationale 1

Route Nationale 1 (RN1) is the primary highway on the Gulf Coast of Haiti, serving areas from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien. In general, RN-1 serves the major cities of the seaboard and metropolitan areas such as Milot, L'Estere, and Gonaïves in the north, down to the Artibonite Plain, and Saint-Marc, Montrouis, the Arcadian Coast, and Cabaret further south. The route follows a more inland route between Milot and Gonaïves, notably bypassing the "Far West" metropolitan areas of Gros-Morne and Port-de-Paix, which require connections through other departmental highways.

About[]

A substantial part of the economic activity in Haiti is centered around Port-au-Prince the capital and along Route Nationale 1, which connects the capital with Cap-Haïtien, the second largest city in the country; specifically RN1 serves the Artibonite Plain (the richest agricultural area in Haiti), the Gonaïves Plain and the Northern Plain, south of Cap-Haïtien.

RN1 is one of the oldest routes of Haiti's Highway System, with its span complimented by a new bridge over the Artibonite River, the largest waterway on this route.

A crossing over the Artibonite is crucial for the northern half of the country since RN-1 is currently the main practicable land access between the northern part and the capital.

Route description[]

For the purpose of analysis, Route National 1 has been divided into four sections as follows:

1. Pont Rouge-Bon Repos (13.6 km)

2. Bon Repos-Sortie Saint Marc (88 km)

3. Saint Marc-Gonaives (50 km)

4. Gonaives-Cap-Haïtien (101 km)

1. Pont Rouge-Gonaïves (152 km, asphalt concrete)

Route 1 is a mostly a two-lane undivided highway, with several highly congested, four-lane sections in populated areas as well as a high volume of pedestrians. The south end of the RN-1 is at Rue Pavée, just north of where it intersects with Route Nationale 2 in Downtown Port-au-Prince. Northbound RN-1 initially heads north towards the community of Bon-Repos before turning west to run along the north shore of Port-au-Prince Bay. The first 8 km of this road (Pont Rouge-Y intersection with Route Nationale 3) can be widened to 4 lanes as the required right-of-way appears to be there. This section shows wear. Lane painting and on-street parking restrictions along this section would increase the use of the existing capacity of some sections which are already 4-lanes wide.

From there, Route Nationale 1 turns west, running for several miles along a straightaway, later curving toward the outskirt villages of Titanyen and Cabaret. Route Nationale 1 crosses the Bretelle River in Cabaret, near where it intersects it Route 115, heading out toward Arcahaie. North of Arcahie, the route heads northwest towards Saint-Marc, passing through the southern suburbs of the city, including Montrouis, Délugé, Camp-Mary, and Bois-Neuf. After crossing the Saint-Marc River, Route 1 then goes through the urban area and Downtown before crossing into Saint-Marc's northerly rural sections. In Saint-Marc proper, Route Nationale 1 uses Rue Louverture, then shifts via the curve at Rue Clément-Lanier, heading east until the township of Pont-Sondé, meeting Route 11. Route Nationale 1 crosses the Pont-Sondé Bridge over the Artibonite River into the Borough of Dessalines. It runs along a series of waterways, most notably the Villars Canal (in Dessalines) and L'Estère River for a brief duration in L'Estère's urban section. Leaving the urban area, the two-lane Route Nationale 1 continues to a traffic island located at a y-intersection called Carrefour Bois de Chaux to connect to Route 107.

Gonaïves-Cap-Haitien (101 km, Double Surface Treatment) two lanes. The road sections rehabilitated in 1990 are generally in good condition, requiring only periodic maintenance and some improvements to shoulders in certain areas. The section between Gonaïves and the Route d'Ennery Interchange (26 km) is mostly serviceable, but flooding poses a significant problem. Additionally, about 5 kilometers within this stretch have experienced abnormal deterioration, which is notable given the rehabilitation efforts completed in 1990. The section from the Intersection Route d'Ennery to Limbé (50 km) is also in good condition overall, except for a 4-kilometer portion that requires repair. However, this entire segment lacks proper shoulders, and there is a bridge in need of structural work. Finally, the road between Limbé and Cap-Haïtien (25 km) is reported to be in good condition, with an estimated maintenance or improvement cost of approximately US$ 20,000 per kilometer.

Economy[]

Details of the principal towns along the RN-1[]

The towns located along Route Nationale No. 1 (RN-1) are among the fastest-growing in Haiti. While much of the country's recent economic expansion has been centered in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas, the improvements made to RN-1 and ongoing agricultural development projects in the region are expected to help promote more balanced growth between urban and rural populations.

The RN-1 corridor is home to several key industrial facilities that support both the local and national economy. These include a flour mill and a cement plant near Cabaret, a sugar refinery on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, a textile mill in Gonaïves, and a newly operational steel mill also near the capital. These industries benefit directly from the improved transportation infrastructure provided by RN-1.

In addition to industry, RN-1 serves several important agricultural regions. The Artibonite Plain, covering 25,000 hectares (250 km² (or 97 mi²)), is the country’s primary rice-producing area. The ODVA (Organisation du Développement de la Vallée de l’Artibonite) has set ambitious plans to double rice production in this zone. Northeast of Gonaïves, an area of 2,700 hectares is being developed by the ODPG (Organisation du Développement de la Plaine de Gonaïves), which has received significant financial support—US$2 million from the Federal Republic of Germany , US$737,000 from the International Coffee Organization, and US$600,000 from the Haitian Government. A feasibility study on required investments was conducted by the IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture). Further north, the area around the L'Estère River (1,200 hectares) is also targeted for increased agricultural productivity under ODPG’s guidance. Additionally, the region around Plaisance, located between Puilboreau and Camp Coq, is known for the production of coffee and cocoa, as well as a variety of other crops including sweet potatoes, manioc, bananas, and other fruits.

Other important sources of traffic and economic activity along RN-1 include stone quarries near Ennery and within the Artibonite Plain, charcoal kilns near Gonaïves, and livestock farming near the L'Estère River. Furthermore, RN-1 supports growing tourism traffic, with attractive beaches along the first 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of Port-au-Prince and near Cap-Haïtien, scenic mountain views near Limbé, and several sites of historical and cultural interest in the Cap-Haïtien region, such as the Sans-Souci Palace, the Citadelle Laferrière, and the ruins of Pauline Bonaparte’s residence.

Route Nationale 1, with distance markers (in km)

Route Nationale Elevation map, showing the highest point along the route to be at the border of and departments. — Route Nationale Elevation map, showing the highest point along the route to be at the border of Nord and Artibonite departments.

The largest climb is at the 156 km to 176 km marker. It is a climb that lasts 20 km and rises from 183 meters to 916 meters (599 ft to 3006 ft) in the span of 20 km (12 miles), resulting in a grade of 3.7%.

Route Nationale 1[]

Junction list[]

Borough	Municipality	km	mi	Locale	Notes
_RN1 Direction: North	_{Ouest Department}
Port-au-Prince	Port-au-Prince	0.0	0.0	Rue Pavée	JCT
	Cité Soleil/Delmas	3.3	2.1	Avenue de Soleil
	Cité Soleil/Delmas/Tabarre	5.1	3.2	Carrefour Drouillard
	Cité Soleil/Tabarre	5.9	3.7	Mairie Cité-Soleil
	Cité Soleil/Tabarre/C-D-B	8.7	5.4	~~Riviere Grise~~	Cx.des-Missions
Croix-des-Bouquets	Croix-des-Bouquets	9.3	5.8	Carrefour Shada	JCT
		13.5	8,4	Bon Repos	JCT
		17.2	10.7	Soleil 9
		18.0	11.2	~~Ravine Ti Penn~~
		21.0	13.0	Grace de Dieu	Plage Lanme Frappe
Archaie	Cabaret	24.6	15.3	Lafiteau
		25.7	16.0	Titanyen	JCT
		29.5	18.4	Aubry
	~~Rivière Bretelle~~	32.9	20.5	Carrefour Damier
		34.0	21.1	Ville de Cabaret
	~~Riv. Manegue~~	36.9	22.9	Route Cabaret-Lachapelle	JCT
		40.2	24.9	Bercy
		42.3	26.3	Vignie
		45.4	28.2	~~Riv. Joly~~
	Arcahaie	46.3	28.8	Saint-Medard ^[GAS]	JCT B
		49.7	30.9	Pont Des Matheux
		50.9	31.6	Des Vases
		55.4	34.4	Marotte	_{Pompe Gas National}
		60.8	37.8	~~Ravine Salee~~
		62.9	39.1	Cariesse Ferry Terminal	Ouanga Bay
		74.4	46.2	Montrouis

Borough	Municipality	km	mi	Locale	Notes
_RN1 Direction: North	_Artibonite _Department
Saint-Marc	Saint-Marc			~~Rivière Montrouis~~
		78.0	48.5	Délugé
		81.3	50.5	Pierre-Payen
		83.0	51.6	l'Etang de Bois-Neuf
		86.4	53.7	Camp-Marie
		96.1	59.7	Centreville Saint-Marc Station PAP
		101.5	63.1	Pont-Leocan
		108.5	67.4	Pont-Sonde	JCT
Dessalines	Dessalines	115.4	71.7	Villard
		120.5	74.9	Hautes-Feuilles	JCT J
		131.7	81.8	Pont de L'Estère
		135.5	84.2	Carrefour Bois de Chaux	JCT
Gonaïves	Gonaïves	152.7	94.9	~~Rivière la Quinte~~
		156.1	97.0	Centreville de Gonaïves Rond Point
		159.2	98.9	Carrefour Turène	JCT
		160.3	99.6	Union Des Frères	JCT
		162.1	100.8	Carrefour Joffre	JCT
	Ennery	165.4	115.3	Ville d'Ennery	JCT

Borough	Municipality	km	mi	Locale	Notes
_RN1 Direction: North	_{Nord Department}
Plaisance	Plaisance	194.7	121.0	Carrefour Nan Georges	JCT
		208.6	129.6	Ville de Plaisance	JCT
Limbé	Limbé	221.5	137.6	Camp Coq	Pont Gravé
		230.7	143.4	Ville de Limbé	JCT
Acul-du-Nord	Acul-du-Nord	238.3	148.1	Route de Camp-Louise	JCT
		243.7	151.4	~~Rivière Salée~~
		247.7	153.9	Vaudreuil
Cap-Haïtien	Cap-Haïtien	256.0	159.1	Ville du Cap-Haïtien	JCT