Route nationale 1
 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source.(December 2009) |
TheRoute nationale 1is a trunk road (nationale) in France between Paris andCalais.[1]It is approximately 339 km (211 mi) long.
Reclassification
[edit]The majority of the original road has been superseded by theA16 autoroute.As a result, much of the road has now been reclassified theRD 1001,RD 901andRD 940.
Route
[edit]Paris -Saint-Denis-Beauvais-Amiens-Abbeville-Boulogne-sur-Mer-Calais-Dunkerque-Belgium
Paris to Amiens (0 km to 130 km)
[edit]The road begins at the Porte de la Chapelle in Paris and runs below theA1 autorouteas the Boulevard de President Wilson north through the northern Paris suburbs toSaint-Denis.The road heads through Saint Denis as the Avenue Lenine before heading north east. The road then heads to the east of Saint Brice Sous Foret, with theForet Dominiale de Montmorency.
The road heads into theForet Dominiale de L'Isle-Adamwhere theA16 autoroutestarts, and then crosses theRiver Oise.The autoroute heads to the west while the N 1 heads out over rolling countryside northwards after Chambly. The road heads throughNoaillesbefore the road crosses the autoroute and entersBeauvais.
The road passes round the east of Beauvais passing the airport before turning north east. The road heads over the generally flat countryside toBreteuil.It runs parallel to the A 16 and enters the town ofAmiensfrom the South. The road crosses the RiverSommein the town.
Amiens to Calais (130 km to 290 km)
[edit]In Amiens the road turns north west along the Somme valley past the memorial Samara. The road heads out of the steep valley sides before the town ofAbbeville.To the west of the town is theA28 autoroutewhich heads south toRouen.
The N 1 heads north again passing south west of theForêt de Crécy.The road then crosses the marshy valley of the river Authie. The countryside becomes a series ofchalkdownland and deep valleys. The road continues to the valley of the Canche and the historic walled town ofMontreuil.The road rises again reaching 134 m above sea level north of the town which offers views over theParc Naturel Regional caps et Marais D'Opale.The road passes through the village of Samer before turning north west to the major port and historic town ofBoulogne-sur-Mer.
After Boulogne the road has reached theEnglish Channeland the road heads along the coast past theColonne de la Grande Arméeand has now been re-numbered the RD 940. The road heads through Wimereux and close to theCap Gris-Nez(50 m), Wissant and theCap Blanc-Nez(134 m), here the road passes a Monument to Latham and past theMont d'Hubert(151 m). The road then entersCalaisfrom the west. The town is a major port withferryservices to England. TheA26 autoroutestarts in the town heading south east to Paris,LilleandReims.
Calais to Frontier of Belgium (290 km to 339 km)
[edit]In the year 1973 the RN 1 took over this part from the RN 40. 2006 this part was downgraded from RN to RD. TheA16 autoroutepasses round the town with theEurotunnelterminal and heading north to the Belgium frontier and takes the majority of through traffic. The old RN 1 is now numbered the RD 940 and passes north east parallel to the coast across flat drained farmland. The road reaches the riverAaand the town ofGravelinesafter 25 km.
After the town the road is numbered the RN 1 and it passes a series of refineries and other industrial complexes in theZone industrielle Portuaire.The road then enters the port ofDunkerquewhere the RN 225 (European Route E 42) heads south east toLille.The RN 1 continues along the coast to the Frontier with Belgium where it continues as the N 39.
References
[edit]- ^"R.N.1: A NOUS LES PETITES ANGLAISES (I)".surma-route.net(in French).Retrieved13 August2023.
