# [RH] Roads in Haiti • Routes d'Haïti



## Corvinus (Dec 8, 2010)

Haiti occupies the western half of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and is referred to as the poorest country of the Western hemisphere. In 2010, a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake destroyed much of the country's scarce infrastructure. 

The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. Official languages are Haitian Creole and French.
It became the second republic in the Americas when it gained independence more than two centuries ago in 1804.

According to Wikipedia, Haiti has two main highways that run from one end of the country to the other. The northern highway, _Route Nationale No. 1_, originates in Port-au-Prince, winding through the coastal towns of Montrouis and Gonaïves, before reaching its terminus at the northern port Cap-Haïtien. The southern highway, _Route Nationale No. 2_, links Port-au-Prince with Les Cayes via Léogâne and Petit-Goâve.
Many roads in the country have always been in poor condition.

Road map of Haiti:









(© Rémi Kaupp, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons)


A road in Cap-Haïtien, 2012:









("On the Road - Cap-Haïtien, Haiti by Alex E. Proimos, on Flickr")


Video of driving on a highway in remarkably good condition, unfortunately its location is not given: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e4in8-B_qo


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## Corvinus (Dec 8, 2010)

A new EU-funded highway connecting the capital Port-au-Prince to Mirebalais, inaugurated in April 2010:










source










source


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## Corvinus (Dec 8, 2010)

An example of a road in Cap-Haïtien that went almost unaffected by the 2010 earthquake:
(Source)










An example of earthquake damage (fissures) in a road between Port-au-Prince and Leogane:
(Source)










Driver's view of the somewhat chaotic traffic flow, with vehicles, people and animals crossing each other's way in every possible direction:
(Source)


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I found this Wikia site that has articles about most Haitian numbered roads: http://haiti.wikia.com/wiki/Transportation_in_Haiti

I wonder what kind of signage they have, and if road numbers are signed. There is at least an RN1 - RN8 and several numbered departmental roads, these are also on Google Maps.

Documents at the ministry of transport frequently mention these route numbers, so I assume they have some wider usage.

https://www.mtptc.gouv.ht/

The route numbers are even advertised on billboards:


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