The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via highway systems. It is one of the three pillars of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) project, endorsed by the ESCAP commission at its 48th session in 1992, comprising Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) and facilitation of land transport projects.

Agreements have been signed by 32 countries to allow the highway to cross the continent and also reach to Europe. Some of the countries taking part in the highway project are India (Look-East connectivity projects), Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Nepal and Bangladesh.^[1] Most of the funding comes from the larger, more advanced Asian nations such as China, South Korea and Singapore as well as international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The project aims to make maximum use of the continent's existing highways to avoid the construction of newer ones, except in cases where missing routes necessitate their construction. Project Monitor, an Asian infrastructure news website, has commented that "early beneficiaries of the Asian Highway project are the planners within the national land transport department of the participating countries [since] it assists them in planning the most cost-effective and efficient routes to promote domestic and international trade. Non-coastal areas, which are often negligible, are the other beneficiaries."^[1]

However, in the mid-2000s some transportation experts^[who?] were skeptical about the viability of the project given the economic and political climate in both South and Southeast Asia.^[1]

History

The AH project was initiated by the United Nations in 1959 with the aim of promoting the development of international road transport in the region. During the first phase of the project (1960–1970) considerable progress was achieved, however, progress slowed down when financial assistance was suspended in 1975.

ESCAP has conducted several projects in cooperation with AH member countries step by step after the endorsement of ALTID in 1992.

The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network (IGA) was adopted on November 18, 2003, by the Intergovernmental Meeting; the IGA includes Annex I, which identifies 55 AH routes among 32 member countries totalling approximately 140,000 km (87,500 miles), and Annex II "Classification and Design Standards". During the 60th session of the ESCAP Commission at Shanghai, China, in April 2004, the IGA treaty was signed by 23 countries. By 2013, 29 countries had ratified the agreement.^[2]

In 2007, British drivers Richard Meredith and Phil Colley completed the first full East to West journey of the entire highway in an Aston Martin Vantage which was later sold to raise money for UNICEF. The drive was a marketing stunt promoted by the car manufcaturer^[3]

Implications

The advanced highway network would provide for greater trade and social interactions between Asian countries, including personal contacts, project capitalizations, connections of major container terminals with transportation points, and promotion of tourism via the new roadways.^[1] Infrastructure consultant Om Prakash noted that, "It's an excellent step taken by ESCAP to gather all the Asian countries under one crown but the problem with this project is political disputes between some countries, notably Pakistan and Myanmar, which is delaying the project."^{[1][dubious – discuss]}

Future development plans

Route AH1 is proposed to extend from Tokyo to the border with Bulgaria (EU) west of Istanbul and Edirne, passing through both Koreas, China and other countries in Southeast, Central and South Asia. The corridor is expected to improve trade links between East Asian countries, India and Russia. To complete the route, existing roads will be upgraded and new roads constructed to link the network. US$25 billion has been spent or committed As of 2007,^[update] with additional US$18 billion needed for upgrades and improvements to 26,000 kilometres (16,000 miles) of highway.^[4]

Numbering and signage

The project new highway route numbers begin with "AH", standing for "Asian Highway", followed by one, two or three digits.^[5] Single-digit route numbers from 1 to 9 are assigned to major Asian Highway routes which cross more than one subregion.^[5] Two- and three-digit route numbers are assigned to indicate the routes within subregions, including those connecting to neighbouring subregions, and self-contained highway routes within the participating countries.^[5] Route numbers are printed in the Latin script and Hindu-Arabic numerals and may simply be added to existing signage, like the E-road network.^[5]

The actual design of the signs has not been standardized, only that the letters and digits are in white or black, but the color, shape and size of the sign being completely flexible. Most examples feature a blue rectangular shield with a white inscription (similar to German Autobahn signage) with further examples of white on green and black on white rectangular shields.^[1][5][6]

Routes

AH1 to AH9: Continent-Wide Routes

• – 20,557 km (12,774 mi): Tokyo, Japan – Bulgarian border, Turkey^[7]
  • Border of Bulgaria – Kapıkule – Istanbul – Gerede – Ankara – Sivas – Refahiye – Aşkale – Doğubayazıt – Gürbulak –
  • Bazargan – Ivughli – Tabriz – Qazvin – Tehran – Semnan – Damghan – Sabzevar – Mashhad – Dowqarun –
  • Islam Qala – Herat – Delaram – Kandahar – Kabul – Torkham –
  • Peshawar – Hassan Abdal – Rawalpindi (– Islamabad) – Lahore – Wagah –
  • Attari – New Delhi – Agra – Kanpur – Varanasi – Sasaram – Kolkata – Petrapole –
  • Benapole – Jashore – Dhaka – Kachpur – Sylhet – Tamabil –
  • Dawki – Shillong – Jorabat (– Guwahati) – Nagaon – Dimapur – Chümoukedima – Kohima – Viswema – Imphal – Moreh –
  • Tamu – Mandalay – Meiktila – Payagyi (– Yangon) – Myawaddy –
  • Mae Sot – Tak – Nakhon Sawan – Bang Pa-in (– Bangkok) – Hin Kong – Kabin Buri – Aranyaprathet –
  • Poipet – Phnom Penh – Bavet –
  • Mộc Bài – Ho Chi Minh City – Biên Hòa (– Vũng Tàu) – Nha Trang – Hội An – Da Nang – Huế – Đông Hà – Vinh – Hanoi – Đồng Đăng – Hữu Nghị –
  • Youyiguan – Nanning – Guangzhou (– Shenzhen – Hong Kong) – Xiangtan – Changsha – Wuhan – Xinyang – Zhengzhou – Shijiazhuang – Beijing – Shenyang – Dandong –
  • Sinuiju – Pyongyang – Kaesong –
  • Munsan – Seoul – Daejeon – Daegu – Gyeongju – Busan …
  • Fukuoka – Tokyo
• – 13,177 km (8,188 mi): Denpasar, Indonesia – Khosravi, Iran^[7]
  • Khosravi – Hamadan – Saveh – Salafchegan (– Tehran) – Yazd – Anar – Kerman – Zahedan – Mirjaveh –
  • Taftan – Quetta – Rohri – Multan – Lahore – Wagah –
  • Attari – New Delhi – Rampur – Banbasa –
  • Bramhadev Mandi – Mahendranagar – Kohalpur – Narayangarh – Pathlaiya – Kakarbhitta –
  • Siliguri –
  • Banglabandha– Rangpur– Hatikumrul – Dhaka – Kachpur – Sylhet – Tamabil –
  • Dawki – Shillong – Jorabat (– Guwahati) – Nagaon – Dimapur – Chümoukedima – Kohima – Viswema – Imphal – Moreh –
  • Tamu – Mandalay – Meiktila – Kengtung – Tachilek –
  • Mae Sai – Chiang Rai – Tak – Nakhon Sawan – Bang Pa-in – Bangkok – Hat Yai – Sadao –
  • Bukit Kayu Hitam – Butterworth – Kuala Lumpur – Seremban – Johor Bahru –
  • Singapore – Sengkang
  • Jakarta (– Merak) – Cikampek (– Bandung) – Semarang – Surakarta – Surabaya – Denpasar
• – 7,331 km (4,555 mi):
  • Northern section: Ulan-Ude, Russia – Tanggu, China^[7]
    • Ulan-Ude – Kyakhta –
    • Altanbulag – Darkhan – Ulaanbaatar – Nalaikh – Choir – Sainshand – Zamyn-Üüd –
    • Erenhot – Beijing – Tanggu
  • Southern section: Shanghai, China – Chiang Rai, Thailand^[7]
    • Shanghai – Hangzhou – Nanchang – Xiangtan – Guiyang – Kunming – Jinghong (– Daluo – Mong La – Keng Tung) – Mohan, Yunnan –
    • Boten – Nateuy – Houayxay –
    • Chiang Khong – Chiang Rai
• – 6,024 km (3,743 mi): Novosibirsk, Russia – Karachi, Pakistan^[7]
  • Novosibirsk – Barnaul – Tashanta –
  • Ulaanbaishint – Khovd – Yarantai
  • Ürümqi – Kashgar – Honqiraf –
  • Khunjerab – Hassanabdal – Rawalpindi – Islamabad – Lahore – Multan – Rohri – Hyderabad – Karachi
• – 10,380 km (6,450 mi): Shanghai, China – Bulgarian border, Turkey^[8]
  • Border of Bulgaria – Kapikule – Istanbul – Gerede – Merzifon – Samsun – Trabzon – Sarp –
  • Batumi – Poti – Senaki – (Port of Anaklia – Zugdidi bypass road – Samtredia) Khashuri – Mtskheta – Tbilisi –
  • Red Bridge – Qazax – Ganja – Gazi Mammed – Alat – Baku …
  • Turkmenbashi – Serdar – Ashgabat – Tejen – Mary – Turkmenabat – Farap –
  • Ələt – Bukhara – Navoi – Samarkand – Syrdaria – Tashkent – Chernyavka –
  • Chernyaevka – Shymkent – Merki –
  • Chaldovar – Kara Balta – Bishkek –
  • Kordai – Kaskelen – Almaty –
  • Khorgas – Jinghe – Kuytun – Ürümqi – Turpan – Lanzhou – Xi'an – Xinyang – Nanjing – Shanghai
• – 10,475 km (6,509 mi): Busan, South Korea – Belarusian border, Russia^[7]
  • Border of Belarus – Krasnoye – Moscow – Samara – Ufa – Chelyabinsk – Petukhovo –
  • Chistoe – Petropavl – Karakoga –
  • Isilkul – Omsk – Novosibirsk – Krasnoyarsk – Irkutsk – Ulan-Ude – Chita – Zabaykalsk –
  • Manzhouli – Qiqihar – Harbin – Suifenhe –
  • Pogranichny – Ussuriysk – Razdolnoye (– Vladivostok – Nahodka) – Khasan –
  • Sonbong – Chongjin – Wonsan (– Pyongyang) –
  • Goseong – Ganseong – Gangneung – Gyeongju – Busan
• – 5,868 km (3,646 mi): Yekaterinburg, Russia – Karachi, Pakistan^[7]
  • Yekaterinburg – Chelyabinsk – Troisk –
  • Kaerak – Kostanai – Astana – Karaganda – Burubaital – Merke –
  • Chaldovar – Kara-Balta – Osh –
  • Andijon – Tashkent – Syrdaria – Khavast –
  • Khujand – Dushanbe – Nizhniy Panj –
  • Shirkhan – Pol-e Khomri – Jabal Saraj – Kabul – Kandahar – Spin Boldak –
  • Chaman – Quetta – Kalat – Karachi
• – 4,907 km (3,049 mi): Finnish border, Russia – Bandar Emam, Iran^[7]
  • Border of Finland – Torfyanovka – Vyborg – St. Petersburg – Moscow – Tambov – Borisoglebsk – Volgograd – Astrakhan – Khasavyurt – Mahachkala – Kazmalyarskiy –
  • Samur – Sumgayit – Baku – Alat – Bilasuvar – Astara –
  • Rasht – Qazvin – Tehran – Saveh – Ahvaz – Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni
• – 9,222 km (5,730 mi)^{[citation needed]}: St. Petersburg, Russia – Lianyungang, China^[8][9]
  • St. Petersburg – Moscow – Ulyanovsk – Toliatti – Samara – Orenburg – Sagarchin –
  • Zhaisan – Aktobe – Kyzylorda – Shymkent – Taraz – Almaty –
  • Khorgas – Urumqi – Lianyungang

AH10 to AH29: Southeast Asia Routes

• – 1,588 km (987 mi): Vientiane, Laos – Sihanoukville, Cambodia^[7]
  • Vientiane – Ban Lao – Thakhek – Seno – Pakse – Veunkham – Tranpeangkreal –
  • Stung Treng – Kratie – Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville
• – 1,195 km (743 mi): Nateuy, Laos – Hin Kong, Thailand^[7]
  • Nateuy – Oudomxai – Pakmong – Louang Phrabang – Vientiane – Thanaleng –
  • Nong Khai – Udon Thani – Khon Kaen – Nakhon Ratchasima – Hin Kong
• – 1,429 km (888 mi): Hanoi, Vietnam – Nakhon Sawen, Thailand^[7]
  • Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Son La – Dien Bien – Tai Trang –
  • Pang Hok – Muang Khoua – Oudomxai – Muang Ngeun –
  • Huai Kon – Uttaradit – Phitsanulok – Nakhon Sawan
• – 2,077 km (1,291 mi): Hai Phong, Vietnam – Mandalay, Myanmar^[7]
  • Hai Phong – Hanoi – Viet Tri – Lao Cai –
  • Hekou – Kunming – Ruili –
  • Muse – Lashio – Mandalay
• – 566 km (352 mi): Vinh, Vietnam – Udon Thani, Thailand^[7]
  • Vinh – Cau Treo –
  • Keoneau – Ban Lao – Thakhek –
  • Nakhon Phanom – Udon Thani
• – 1,032 km (641 mi): Đông Hà, Vietnam – Tak, Thailand^[7]
  • Đông Hà – Lao Bao –
  • Densavanh – Seno – Savannakhet –
  • Mukdahan – Khon Kaen – Phitsanulok – Tak
• – 980 km (610 mi): Đà Nẵng, Vietnam – Vũng Tàu, Vietnam^[10][11]
  • Đà Nẵng – Kon Tum – Pleiku – Ho Chi Minh – Vũng Tàu
• – 1,042 km (647 mi): Hat Yai, Thailand – Johor Bahru Causeway, Malaysia^[7]
  • Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok –
  • Rantau Panjang – Kota Bahru – Kuantan – Johor Bahru – Johor Bahru Causeway
• – 459 km (285 mi): Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand – Bangkok, Thailand^[7]
  • Nakhon Ratchasima – Kabin Buri – Laem Chabang – Chonburi – Bangkok
• AH21 – length unknown: Qui Nhơn, Vietnam – Serei Saophoan, Cambodia^[8]
  • Quy Nhon port – Pleiku – Le Thanh –
  • O Yadav – Banlung – Stung Treng – Preah Vihear – Siem Reap – Serei Saophoan
• Trans-Sumatran Highway (Eastern Route) – 2,549 km (1,584 mi): Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Merak, Indonesia^[7]
  • Banda Aceh – Medan – Tebingtinggi – Dumai – Pekanbaru – Jambi – Palembang – Tanjung Karang – Bakauheni … Merak
• Pan-Philippine Highway – 3,379.73 km (2,100.07 mi):^[12] Laoag, Philippines – Zamboanga, Philippines^[7]
  • Laoag – Tuguegarao – Guiguinto – Quezon City (– Manila – Makati) – Makati – Calamba – Legazpi – Matnog … Allen – Tacloban (– Ormoc City … Cebu City) – Liloan … Surigao – Butuan – Davao (– Cagayan de Oro) – General Santos – Cotabato City – Zamboanga

AH30 to AH39: East Asia and Northeast Asia Routes

AH40 to AH59: South Asian Routes

AH60 to AH89: North Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia Routes

AH100 to AH299: ASEAN Southeast Asia Routes

These routes were set up by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as part of an extension to the Asian Highway Network, known as the ASEAN Highway Network.^[10][11]

Route No.	Distance	Start	End	Notes
AH111		Loilem, Myanmar	Thibaw, Myanmar	[14]
AH112		Thaton, Myanmar	Kawthaung, Myanmar	[14]
AH121		Mukdahan, Thailand	Sa Kaeo, Thailand
AH123		Dawei, Myanmar	Pak Tho on AH2 in Thailand	[14][15]
AH131		Vũng Áng, Vietnam	Thakhek, Laos
AH132		Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam	Thang Beng, Laos
AH140		Butterworth, Malaysia	Pasir Puteh, Malaysia
AH141		Port Klang Malaysia	Kuantan, Malaysia
AH142		Yong Peng, Malaysia	Gambang, Malaysia
AH143		Sengkang, Singapore	Senai, Malaysia
AH150		Telok Merano, Sarawak	Entikong, West Kalimantan	Also known as the Pan-Borneo Highway
AH151		Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatra	Bandar Lampung, Lampung	Also known as the Central Trans-Sumatran Highway. The highway is also co-signed as Sumatra by the Ministry of Transportation (Indonesia) since 2019.
AH152		Jakarta	Surakarta, Central Java	The highway is also co-signed by some Indonesian National Route Java by the Ministry of Transportation (Indonesia) since 2019.

Distance by country or region

The planned network runs a total of 140,479 kilometres (87,290 mi).

Country or region	Distance in km (mi)
Afghanistan	4,247 km (2,639 mi)
Armenia	958 km (595 mi)
Azerbaijan	1,442 km (896 mi)
Bangladesh	1,804 km (1,121 mi)
Bhutan	1 km (0.62 mi)
Cambodia	1,339 km (832 mi)
China	25,579 km (15,894 mi)
Georgia	1,154 km (717 mi)
Hong Kong	91 km (57 mi)
India	27,987 km (17,390 mi)
Indonesia	3,989 km (2,479 mi)
Iran	11,152 km (6,930 mi)
Japan	1,200 km (750 mi)
Kazakhstan	13,189 km (8,195 mi)
North Korea	1,320 km (820 mi)
Republic of Korea	907 km (564 mi)
Kyrgyzstan	1,695 km (1,053 mi)
Laos	2,297 km (1,427 mi)
Malaysia	4,006 km (2,489 mi)
Mongolia	4,286 km (2,663 mi)
Myanmar	3,003 km (1,866 mi)
Nepal	1,321 km (821 mi)
Pakistan	5,377 km (3,341 mi)
Philippines	3,517 km (2,185 mi)
Russia	16,869 km (10,482 mi)
Singapore	38 km (24 mi)
Sri Lanka	650 km (400 mi)
Tajikistan	1,925 km (1,196 mi)
Thailand	5,112 km (3,176 mi)
Turkey	5,254 km (3,265 mi)
Turkmenistan	2,204 km (1,370 mi)
Uzbekistan	2,966 km (1,843 mi)
Vietnam	2,678 km (1,664 mi)