The Republic of China government named the freeway Sun Yat-sen Freeway in honor of Sun Yat-sen, the country's founding father.

[citation needed] National Freeway 1 is a tollway where the amount charged varies by distance traveled, with vehicles being fitted with an electronic tag to facilitate toll calculation; the term "freeway" refers to "free of signal", and not free from charge.

A 20.7 km (12.9 mi) viaduct on top of the freeway between Xizhi and Wugu was completed in 1997 in order to expand the capacity of the road.

[citation needed] Saudi Arabia supported the construction of the highway by providing an interest free loan.

[2] The 2019 Han Kuang Exercise featured takeoff and landing practice by Republic of China Air Force aircraft on the Huatan section of National freeway 1 in Changhua County.