Renumbered National Highways map of India (Schematic)

National Highway 1 (NH 1) in India runs between the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

. It comprises parts of old NH1A and NH1D. The number 1 indicates, under the new numbering system, that it is the northernmost East-West highway in India. National Highway 1D India

History

A track between Srinagar in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...

and

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former res ...

had existed since medieval times, and it was a prime trade route for many centuries. It passed through the

Zoji La Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh, Kargil district, Kashmir. Located in the Drass, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west, with the Drass ...

pass——over the

Great Himalaya The Great Himalayas or Greater Himalayas or Himadri is the highest mountain range of the Himalayan Range.Hussain, MajidGeography of India/ref> The world's highest peak, Mount Everest, as well as other "near−highest" peaks, such as Kangchenjunga, ...

n range, which is snowbound for half the year. After the

Independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir started building a motorable road along the route in 1954. The construction was suspended in 1958 after discovery of corruption among the contractors and engineers, and an enquiry was initiated. In 1960, the Government of India created the

Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to and is now a part of the Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring ...

(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 Chushul is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil, in the area known as "Chushul Valley", south of the Pangong Lake and west of the Spanggur Lake. The Line of Actual Control with China runs about 5 m ...

by September 1962, just a few weeks before

hostilities War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

were initiated by China. In addition to the Zoji La pass, the highway also had to cross the Ladakh Range between

Kargil Kargil ( lbj, ) is a city and a joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It is also the headquarters of the Kargil district. It is the second-largest city in Ladakh after Leh. Kargil is located to the east of Srinagar in Jam ...

and Leh, via the

Fotu La Fotu La ( hi, script=Latn, fōtu lā) or Fatu La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Zanskar Range of the Himalayas in India. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on the highway, surpassing the famed Zoji La. Fotu La ...

pass——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 The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...

, which ended by the Indian Army eventually evicting the intruders.

Route description

NH 1 passes from

Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...

Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a town and a municipality in the Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Baramulla district. It is on the ...

, Srinagar,

Sonamarg Sonamarg () or Sonmarg (), known as Sonamarag (; ) in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District The Ganderbal district, or more formally District Ganderdal, is a district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, I ...

, Dras,

and

. The route passes through high mountain passes and most of the road clings to mountainsides. The NH is the lifeline of the

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

Traffic

The

Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation was the agency of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir that provides road transport within Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir and the adjacent states. History With the clos ...

(JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and

on this route with an overnight halt at

. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey.

References

Bibliography

External links

NH 1 on OpenStreetMap
National highways in India National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir Transport in Ladakh National Highways in Ladakh Transport in Kashmir Division Transport in Leh Transport in Baramulla {{india-NH-stub