Autovía GC-1

The GC1 is a superhighway (or motorway) on the island of Gran Canaria. It links the capital Las Palmas in the north with Puerto Rico in the south. It is the fastest route from the top of the island to the bottom and vice versa with a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). It is approximately 75 km (47 miles in length) and runs along the eastern and the southern coasts of this circular island and is also the second longest superhighway in the Canary Islands. The road provides easy access from the airport to the major cities and resorts. The resorts include Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés. The increase in tourism over the years has seen the GC1 route slowly being upgraded and widened to cope with extra traffic.

Description

The GC1 begins south of the downtown area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the superhighway runs within the beach of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and 2 km south intersects with the GC2 and later runs with a few clover leaf interchanges and later forms a junction with GC5 and south, the GC31. The highway runs east of Telde and has a Parclo (A8)? interchanges and an extra interchange, it passes into an area where most of the island's farmlands are located and into the subdivision and the industrial area and has another Parclo (A2/A8?) interchange, the superhighway has some interchanges to the southeast and finally ends with a circle in the southwest north of Puerto Rico and near Arguineguin.

History

The superhighway was first opened in the mid to late-1970s when tourism arrived, it first opened within Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it later extended to the Telde as well as the airport and the subdivision area along with the industrial area and in the 1990s, extended to the touristic part of the island and finally near Arguineguin. The future extension of the GC1 is unplanned due to the population and extends to Puerto de Mogán with future interchanges with Arguineguin.

Municipalities

*Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
*Telde
*Ingenio
*Agüimes
*Sta. Lucía de Tirajana
*San Bartolomé de Tirajana
*Mogán