Asia | Area code not applicable | Common abbreviation: none | Last updated 17-9-2007 | |||
| Road class | Syntax explanation | Administrative subordination | Sub classes | Zones | System | Remarks |
| Asian highway | A[0-9]<1-2> | Asia | 1-d | determined by first digit of 2-d numbers | Sometimes indicated with leading 0 | |
| 2-d | ||||||
| General description:
1-digit numbers A1-A5 are main east-west routes. The A1 links Turkey and Vietnam and the A2 runs from Iran to Indonesia.
1-digit numbers are sometimes preceded by '0' (A01, A02), but this does not indicate that they are not more important than
2-digit numbers (as for E numbers).
The numbers probably do not appear on signs very often, except
in Thailand and possibly some other countries.
The Asian Highway project was initiated by the Economic Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE). Originally only 15 countries were
members. Some more joined later. In 1992 the five central Asian former Soviet Republics and Azerbaijan joined. In 1994 a new network was
formulated.
Note that in Central Asia and the Caucasus, European routes are also defined! It is not known whether they are signposted. Georgia joined in 2000 but no routes have been assigned yet. | ||||||
| Zones (determined by the first digit of all 2-d numbers) do not overlap much except for 6 and 7. | ||||||
| Zone | Area | |||||
| 1 | Indochina | |||||
| 2 | Indonesia/Philippines | |||||
| 4 | India | |||||
| 6 | Central Asia | |||||
| 7 | Southwest | |||||
| 8 | China | |||||
| Asian highways are meant to form a network similar to European highways, but the density is much lower and few countries bother to use them on signs. The countries covered are: | ||||||
| Country | Zone | National numbers | European roads | |||
| Afghanistan | 7 | No | ||||
| Armenia | 6/7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Azerbaijan | 6/7 | Yes | X | |||
| Bangladesh | 4 | No | ||||
| Cambodia | 1 | Yes | ||||
| China | 8 | Yes | ||||
| India | 4 | Yes | ||||
| Indonesia | 2 | No | ||||
| Iran | 7 | Yes | ||||
| Kazakhstan | 6/7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | 6/7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Laos | 1 | Yes | ||||
| Malaysia | 1 | Yes | ||||
| Mongolia | 8 | No | ||||
| Myanmar | - (1/4) | Yes | ||||
| Nepal | 4 | No | ||||
| Pakistan | 7 | Yes | ||||
| Philippines | 2 | Yes | ||||
| Singapore | (1) | No | ||||
| Sri Lanka | 4 | Yes | ||||
| Tajikistan | 6/7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Thailand | 1 | Yes | ||||
| Turkmenistan | 7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Uzbekistan | 6/7 | CIS only | X | |||
| Vietnam | 1 | Yes | ||||
| Most of these countries have national road numbers. For more information see individual countries. See also the Route list. | ||||||
| Road signs: Asian highway numbers appear on separate blue signs with white text in Thailand. It is unknown whether the numbers appear on signs in any other countries. | ||||||
| History: From: United Nations, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific | ||||||
| 1959 | Asian Highway (AH) development project initiated by Economic Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE) The original 15 member nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (membership officially granted in 1989), Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam (former South Viet Nam). | |||||
| 1965 | AH coordinating committee established. Formulated AH network of 65,000 km (40 routes). | |||||
| 1968 | The Asian Highway Transport Technical Bureau was set up (funded by UNDP who also provided financial aid to member countries to help cover the costs of material, testing facilities, training, etc.). | |||||
| 1975 | UNDP's financial aid suspended. The Asian Highway Transport Technical Bureau closed. | |||||
| 1981 | Philippines joined the project. AH network expanded to total 68,400 km (41 routes). | |||||
| 1988 | China joined AH project. | |||||
| 1989 | Myanmar joined AH project. | |||||
| 1990 | Mongolia joined ESCAP and AH project. | |||||
| 1991 | Vietnam informed its intention to actively promote the AH project. | |||||
| 1992 | Integrated Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) project comprising Asian Highway (AH), Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) and facilitation of land transport endorsed. Six former Soviet Republics joined ESCAP: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. | |||||
| 1994 | Study for the development of AH network completed. New Asian Highway network formulated (18 countries; 69,000km). Armenia joined AH. | |||||
| 1995 | Study on Road Network in Central Asia implemented. AH network in Central Asian subregion formulated (7 countries; 21,000 km; total AH network in 25 countries: 90,000 km). Russian Federation and Turkey joined AH project. | |||||
| 1996 | 5-8 November: Joint ESCAP-Japan Symposium on Asian Highway Development was held in Tokyo, Japan. | |||||
| 1997 | Asian Highway database format and computer software developed. Asian Highway database for South-East Asian subregion established. | |||||
| 1998 | Strategy/Guidelines for Upgrading Asian Highway Routes developed. | |||||
| 1999 | Asian Highway database for SAARC subregion established. Study for Asian Highway Network in Turkey done. | |||||
| 2000 | Georgia joined ESCAP member and the AH Project. AH database for Central Asian Countries established. Guidelines for AH promotion designed. AH database brochure published. | |||||
| 2001 | Expert Group Meeting for Northern Corridor was held in October. The Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure in Seoul from 16-17 November in 2001 adopted the Seoul Declaration on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific, including the Regional Action Program (2002-2006) on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific. | |||||
| Some existing routes were changed. For example, the A2 used to go via Esfahan instead of Tehran. Most 2-d numbers in Iran were changed and reassigned in Central and East Asia.
There used to be one number with a suffix: A76a, an alternative route for the A76 in Afghanistan. This is apparently obsolete. | ||||||
Sources and links: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, United Nations; various maps and atlases
Official site: Other links: | ||||||