Existed: 1981 – present South end: Sfax Length 247 km | North end: Tunis Constructed 1981 | |
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Major cities Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, Hammamet, Tunisia, Enfidha, Hammam-Lif, Ben Arous, El Djem | ||
Tunisia's A1 or A-1 motorway is a 247 km road connecting Tunis and Sfax. In the map shown, the A-1 is in red. The highway was built from Tunis at the north end toward the south and is continuing to be extended.
Contents
Map of Highway A1, Tunisia
The A-1 is conceived of as part of an international project, sometimes called the Trans-Mahgreb or Trans-North Africa Highway or Trans-African Highway 1 that is planned to reach from Cairo to Dakar.
There are three lanes each way from Tunis to Hammamet then two lanes each way from Hammamet to Sfax. It is a toll road part of the way. Road signs are in Arabic and French. The speed limit on Tunisian highways is 110 km/h.
History
The first section connected Tunis to Turki (near Grombalia) in 1981. It was extended to Hammamet in 1986, to Enfidha in 1994, and to Sfax in 2008.
Further construction
An extension south to Gabès is underway. It had been planned for completion earlier but progress slowed after the Tunisian revolution of 2011. Since at least 2014 the European Investment Bank has provided some financing for extensions.
A 2013 report said: "Currently under construction, the Sfax-Gabès highway (155 km) should be completed in early 2014, with an investment of €470 m." After that, 182 km remain from Gabès to Medenine, Ben Gardane, and to Ras Jedir on the Libyan border.
Distances, rest areas, and exits
The planned route from Tunis to the Libyan frontier is 573 km:
There are service areas at Grombalia, Sidi Khelifa, Borjine, and El Jem.
Exits and interchanges are, in order: the interchange between A1 and Olympic City November 7th, Hammam Lif, Mornag, Grombalia, Turki, Hammamet-Nord, Golf Hammamet, Hammamet, Hammamet-Sud, Bouficha, Enfidha, Enfidha–Hammamet International Airport, Hergla, Sidi Bou Ali, Kalâa Kebira, Sousse, Sousse city center, M'saken, Jemmel, Kerker, El Jem, El Hencha, and Sfax-Nord