Guam Highway 1

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Marine Corps Drive
Maintained by Guam Department of Public Works
Length: 21.04 mi[1] (33.86 km)
West end: Entrance Gate to Naval Base Guam
Major
junctions:
Guam Highway 2A near Santa Rita

Guam Highway 18 in Piti
Guam Highway 6 in Piti
Guam Highway 6 near Hagåtña
Guam Highway 8 in Mongmong-Toto-Maite
Guam Highway 14B in Tamuning
Guam Highway 16 in Tamuning
Guam Highway 3 in Dededo

East end: GH 9A/Entrance Gate to Andersen Air Force Base
Guam highways
< GH-33 GH-2 >

Guam Highway 1 is one of the primary automobile routes in the United States territory of Guam. It runs in a southwest to northeast direction, from the main gate of Naval Base Guam in the western community of Santa Rita in a general northeasterly direction to the main gate of Andersen Air Force Base in the community of Yigo.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Guam Highway 1 begins near the entrance gate to Naval Base Guam, after a few hundred feet it has a junction with Guam Highway 2A before continuing on eastward. Known as Marine Corps Drive, the route then travels to the northeast through the town of Piti. After passing through Piti, the road runs inland from the shoreline before turning slightly to the east, now paralleling the coast, where it passes through the community of Asan. Soon, thereafter, the road cuts a path, due east, towards the Island's capital, Hagåtña where it passes through the northern edge of the city.

After passing through the capital and the community of Mongmong, the road turns towards the northeast as it skirts to the west of Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport on its way through the village of Tamuning. After the airport, the route runs inland from the shoreline as it cuts across the southern edges of Dededo and Yigo villages before reaching its terminus at Salisbury Junction, near the entrance gate to Andersen Air Force Base, where the road continues to the northwest as Guam Highway 9.

Like most major highways on Guam, a 35 mph (56 km/h) speed limit is posted throughout most of its length. In the past, Route 1 was one of the few roads to post a 45 mph (72 km/h) limit on lengths of less-developed roadway. However, as more of the area became developed, certain sections of the roads were posted with lower limits. Travelers heading north away from the developed areas are allowed a 45 mph (72 km/h) speed limit, however the southbound lanes on the same sections remain posted at 35 mph due to development on the western side of the road.[2]

[edit] History

The United States Military began to develop and construct roads on the island in the early 1940s. Some roads had existed prior to this, but improvements were beginning to take shape. Only one road, which encircled most of the island, had been graded. It was the primary route linking Agana (the name of the capital at the time) to Piti and Asan. This was the foundation for Marine Corps Drive. [3]

Named Marine Corps Drive throughout its length, it was known as simply Marine Drive until the road was rededicated by Governor Felix Perez Camacho in 2004.[4]

[edit] Major intersections

Location Mile[1] Roads intersected Notes
Santa Rita 0.00 Entrance to Naval Base Guam Western terminus
0.05 Guam Highway 2A  
Piti 2.72 Guam Highway 18  
2.82 Guam Highway 6  
Hagåtña 6.00 Guam Highway 6  
Mongmong-Toto-Maite 7.84 Guam Highway 8  
Tamuning 10.34 Guam Highway 14B  
13.19 Guam Highway 16  
Yigo 21.04 Guam Highway 9 Eastern terminus
Entrance to Andersen Air Force Base

[edit] External links

War in the Pacific National Historic Park

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau (2006-01-01). 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line File. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  2. ^ Davis, John. "One road, two speed limits? Better believe it.", KUAM News, 2008-01-03. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 
  3. ^ War in the Pacific NHP: Cultural Resources Inventory. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  4. ^ Governor signs order to rename Marine Drive to "Marine Corps Drive". Marissa Eusebio, KUAM News. Retrieved on October 31, 2006.