Along with the Autopista A4, linking Havana to Pinar del Río, it is classified as part of the whole Autopista Nacional route, spanning the length of the island; as the Carretera Central highway.

Additional sections (2 in the Oriental region) were opened during the 1980s, but further work was interrupted in 1990 as the economic crisis of the "Special Period" (Spanish: Período especial) developed.

The A1, the longest motorway on the island, is a dual carriageway with 6 lanes (8 from Havana to San José de las Lajas), and has some at-grade intersections with rural roads.

Other sections under construction, both in Santiago de Cuba Province, are the one from Contramaestre to Palma Soriano, and the one from La Maya to the Palma-Santiago section, ending with the construction of a future interchange.

The other section, passing through the provinces of Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín and Granma, has been planned.