The A1 motorway () is a motorway in Serbia and at it is the longest motorway in Serbia. It crosses the country from north to south, starting at the Horgoà ¡ border crossing with Hungary and ending at the Preà ¡evo border crossing with North Macedonia. As a part of the European route E75 and Pan-European corridor X, connecting 4 of 5 largest Serbian cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nià ¡ and Subotica), it is the most vital part of the Serbian road network.
The northern section (Hungarian border â Subotica â Novi Sad â Belgrade) is 172 km long and was built between 1971 and 2013.
The first subsection of this section to be opened is the Belgrade (Batajnica) â Novi Sad stretch. It was built between 1971 and 1975, but only a single carriageway was constructed at the time. It is 56.3 km long, and it includes the Beà ¡ka Bridge (2,205 m) on the Danube river, which is the longest bridge on the Serbian road network. The next to open was the section between Novi Sad and FeketiÃÂ, in 1986, 44.7 km long. Again, only one carriageway was constructed. Due to the breakup of Yugoslavia and the UN sanctions, motorway construction temporarily came to a halt. The next section to open was Feketiàâ Horgoà ¡ (border with Hungary), 71 km long. It was opened in 1997, and once again only the one (right) carriageway was constructed. After the right carriageway of the highway was complete, the construction of the left carriageway could start. The left carriageway between Batajnica and Beà ¡ka was completed in 2004, and at this stage there was 32.2 km of a full-profile motorway. Construction continued, and the 19.1 km section from Beà ¡ka to Novi Sad was completed in 2006. The next two sections were Novi Sad â Sirig and à ½ednik â Bikovo, both of them 10 km long; they opened in 2009. The first 5.5 km of the Novi Sad bypass were completed in 2010. In 2011 most of the motorway was upgraded to full-profile, with the completion of the 93 km sections Bikovo â Horgoà ¡ (border with Hungary), Sirig âÂ à ½ednik and the twin Beà ¡ka bridge. Finally, the remaining 2.5 km of the Novi Sad bypass were completed, which marked the end of construction of the northern section of the A1 motorway.
The motorway enters Serbia in BaÃÂka and passes by Subotica, BaÃÂka Topola, Vrbas, Novi Sad, crosses the Danube and enters Srem, passes by InÃÂija and Stara Pazova and arrives to Batajnica, a suburb of Belgrade, where the Belgrade bypass begins. This part of the A1 motorway passes through Vojvodina, which is part of the Pannonian Basin. This is very flat terrain and the motorway is surrounded by fields. In the Novi Sad area, the motorway features local-express lanes, in order to avoid congestion in both directions.
Part of A1 motorway is Belgrade bypass, from Batajnica to Bubanj Potok, and it is 47.3 km long. Part from Batajnica to tunnel "Straà ¾evica" is completed and it is a full-profile motorway. Part from tunnel "Straà ¾evica" to Bubanj Potok interchange (sector 6) is 9.6 km long. It was opened to traffic in June 2023.
Central section (BelgradeâÂÂNià ¡) is 210 km-long and is completed in 1985.
The first section of this part of A1 motorway was opened in 1977, and it was 28.1 km long section Beograd (Bubanj Potok) â UmÃÂari, which was opened with another 12.5 kilometres of motorway through Belgrade from Mostar interchange to Bubanj Potok. Next year, 79.3 kilometres from UmÃÂari to BatoÃÂina were opened. Motorway was simultaneously constructed from Belgrade and from Nià ¡, so in 1980 21.2 kilometres between Pojate and Deligrad were opened. In 1982 sections BatoÃÂina â ÃÂuprija and Deligrad â Nià ¡ were opened, and there was in total 189 kilometers between Belgrade and Nià ¡. The last section was opened in 1985, and it was last 21 km between ÃÂuprija and Pojate.
The motorway goes through hilly terrain southern of Belgrade and then, near Smederevo enters the valley of Great Morava and later South Morava, passes by Jagodina, ÃÂuprija, ParaÃÂin and Aleksinac and enters a basin near of Nià ¡. Few km southwards Trupale interchange with A4 motorway which goes north of Nià ¡, then passes Pirot, and goes to border with Bulgaria, while A1 motorway goes south by Juà ¾na Morava river.
Southern section (Nià ¡âÂÂLeskovacâÂÂVranjeâÂÂNorth Macedonia border) is 154 km long. Construction of southern section started in 1992 and has only been completed and opened for traffic in 2019. First section of this part of A1 motorway was opened in 1992, and it was 13 km long section Nià ¡ â Batuà ¡inac. In 1997 year 23 kilometres from Batuà ¡inci to PeÃÂenjevce were opened. Motorway construction continued in 2003 with the 23 km long subsection between PeÃÂenjevce and Grabovnica which was completed in 2005. The next subsection to be opened to traffic was 21 km-long Levosoje â border with North Macedonia in 2013. New momentum came in 2014 when construction started on last remaining subsections (5.6 km-long Grabovnica â Grdelica, 26.1 km-long Grdelica â VladiÃÂin Han, 26.3 km-long VladiÃÂin Han â Donji Neradovac, 8 km-long Donji Neradovac â Srpska KuÃÂa, and 8 km-long Srpska KuÃÂa â Levosoje) and was in simultaneous construction from until 2019 when it was completed and this last remaining part of A1 motorway was opened to traffic.
Motorway passes through valley of South Morava, passes west of Nià ¡, by Meroà ¡ina and Leskovac, and through very difficult terrain of Grdelica Gorge. On this part of motorway through the Grdelica Gorge there are 33 bridges, of which Vrla bridge is the longest (around 650 meters long and around 60 high), and two tunnels: "Predejane" (1,000 m) and "Manajle" (1,818 m) which is the secondlongest tunnel in Serbia. Near VladiÃÂin Han motorway leaves Grdelica gorge and passes by Vranje. Few kilometres south of Preà ¡evo motorway ends at Preà ¡evo border crossing with North Macedonia.
The A1 is by and large a toll road, as are all motorways in Serbia. The toll is collected at entry and exit toll stations based on the distance travelled and the category of the vehicle. The toll sections are Subotica â Stara Pazova, Belgrade (VrÃÂin) â Preà ¡evo, while the Belgrade bypass section and short stretches immediately adjoining it are toll-free.