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Ireland, both north and south of the border, has an extensive network of roads. Northern Ireland has had motorways since 1962 and well developed primary routes. With the advent of the Celtic Tiger and European Union funding, most ''national roads'' in the Republic continue to be upgraded. In the 1990s the Republic went from having only a few short stretches of motorway in the country, to partly expanding the motorways on most major routes. This is part of a National Development Plan. Road construction in Northern Ireland (where the road infrastructure was traditionally of a far higher standard than the Republic) has proceeded at a slower pace in recent years (To the extent that some even claim that it has now been overtaken by the Republic), although a number of important bypasses and upgrades to dual carriageway have recently been completed or are about to begin.
Signposts in Northern Ireland denote distances in miles, while all signposts placed in the Republic since the 1970s use kilometres (a remnant of old signposts in the Republic still displaying distance in miles are due to be replaced with signs displaying distance in kilometres in the near future). Currently miles per hour speed limits are used north of the border. Those in the Republic use kilometres per hour (km/h) introduced on January 20 2005 (see Road speed limits in the Republic of Ireland). This involved the provision of 58,000 new metric speed limit signs, replacing 35,000 imperial signs and adding 23,000 new signs. The Republic's road signs are bilingual, using both of the state's official languages, Irish and English.

Contents

Roads in the Republic of Ireland

Motorways

Route number inheritance

List of motorways in the Republic of Ireland

High Quality Dual Carriageways with Motorway Speed Limits in the Republic of Ireland

Dual Carriageways which could be redesignated as Motorways under the Roads Act 2007

National primary roads

Other roads

Old system

Roads in Northern Ireland

Motorways

"A" roads

"B" roads

"C" roads

Euro Routes

See also

References

External links

Roads in the Republic of Ireland

The Republic's motorway network is focused on Dublin, and is currently being extended to other major cities as part of the National Development Plan. Dublin has also been the focus of other major projects, such as the East-Link and West-Link toll-bridges, as well as the Dublin Port Tunnel. Other cities and towns have however had by-pass projects, some of which are still underway or in planning as of 2004. The Jack Lynch Tunnel under the River Lee in Cork was another major project outside Dublin, and a fourth crossing at Limerick under the River Shannon has just commenced construction, (as of 2006).

Motorways

In the Republic of Ireland, the most major roads are motorways; indicated by the prefix "M" followed by one or two digits. The motorway network is focused on Dublin. The first motorway section in the state was the M7 Naas by-pass, which opened in 1983. As of 2005, all motorways in Ireland are part of, or form, ''national primary roads''. These routes are numbered in series, using numbers from 1 to 33 (and separately from the series - 50), which apart from on motorways, carry an "N" prefix. At the end of 2004 there were of motorway in the Republic and of dual-carriageway. NRA source. This was extended, by the end of 2005, to of motorway and of dual-carriageway. [1]. As of Jan 2006 of new motorway is currently under construction along with of new dual-carriageway. In addition, of dual-carriageway has been reconstructed, specifically between Naas and Dublin (see thumbnail) and 2.4 km on the Cork Southern Ring road. [2]. Most of the new dual carriageways being built in Ireland are built to motorway standards with full grade separation and controlled access, however to accommodate slow moving vehicles e.g. tractors, the motorway designation [M] is not used.
Recently, it was announced that around 800 kilometres of 'new' motorway will be created; however, this will result from the re-classification of most of the country's (high-quality) dual carriageways to motorway standard. This will affect most inter-urban motorways and some of the ''Atlantic Corridor'' along the West coast. [3]

Route number inheritance

In the Republic of Ireland, motorways use the route number of the national road they form part (or possibly in the future, all) of, albeit with the M prefix rather than N. In most cases, the motorway has been built as a by-pass of a road previously forming the national road (e.g. M7 by-passing roads previously forming the N7) - the by-passed roads are reclassified as ''regional roads'', although updated signposting may not be provided for some time, and adherence to signage colour conventions is lax. Regional roads have black-on-white directional signage, national roads use white-on-green (with the route numbers in amber). Motorways in the Republic of Ireland have white-on-blue signage (see thumbnail). Destinations reached by other classes of routes should be listed on a correctly coloured "patch", except on motorways, where all signs should be blue.
The M50, an entirely "new" (1989) national road, is an exception to the normal inheritance process - as it does not replace a road previously carrying an "N" number. The M50 was nevertheless legislated as the "N50" route (despite having no non-motorway sections, other than a very short section at Tallaght that has been subsequently subsumed) to record this national road number in the statute books. It was thereafter designated M50 due to the route being entirely motorway standard. The route also breaks the sequential numbering scheme, but 50 was deemed an easily recognisable number. It is referred to by the NRA in its "National Route Lengths 31/12/2004" publication as the N50, as the publication does not distinguish motorways from national primary roads. Instead it classifies motorways where present as the national primary road under an N designation, for example its states there is 14.21 km of the N1 in County Meath while also stating there is 14.21 km of motorway in Meath. The NRA have designated the M1, which indeed is 14.21 km in length in County Meath, as the N1 in the document (the road which was previously part of the N1 through Meath is only approximately 8.5 km long). As of 2005 N34 is the next unused national primary road designation.
An interesting anomaly occurred on the 31st May 2004 in Limerick when the N7 Parkway scheme and the N7 Limerick Southern Ring Road which is parallel to and bypasses the N7 Parkway were opened simultaneously by the Minister of Transport. The N7 Parkway scheme was labeled as such to get National road funding and within minutes of opening was immediately redesignated a regional road, so as the Minister could open the N7 Limerick Southern Ring Road. NRA

List of motorways in the Republic of Ireland

Motorways not yet open are in italics. Destinations not directly served by the national road in question are in brackets.

'Route:'	'Motorway section:'	'Destinations:'
M1	Outskirts of north Dublin City to north of Dundalk.	Dublin–Border (Belfast)/(Derry)
''M3''	''(Under construction) Clonee to north of Kells.''	''Dublin–Cavan––Ballyshannon''
M4	Lucan to Kinnegad.	Dublin–Sligo
M6	Short section of N6 road with motorway restrictions at Kinnegad. (''Section of Galway-Ballinasloe scheme will also have motorway restrictions'')	(Dublin)–Galway
M7	North East of Naas to west of Portlaoise ''(in planning to Roscrea)''. ''(Under construction Nenagh to Limerick).''	Dublin–Limerick/(Cork)/(Waterford)
M8	of M8 from Rathcormac to Fermoy. ''(also near Mountrath-Urlingford - under construction Urlingford-Culahill, remainder in planning)''	(Dublin)–Cork
M9	West of Newbridge to south of Kilcullen (spur off M7).	(Dublin)–Waterford
M11	Bray/Shankill bypass.	Dublin–Wexford
M50	Entire route.	Dublin ring road

High Quality Dual Carriageways with Motorway Speed Limits in the Republic of Ireland

A number of local authorities have passed special speed limit bye-laws permitting dual carriageways in their administrative area to carry motorway speed limits of 120 km/h.

'Route:'	'Section:'	'Counties:'		'Destinations:'		'Officially Introduced:'
N1	North of Dundalk to Northern Ireland border.	Louth		(Dublin) – Border (Belfast)		August 15th, 2007
N2	Junction 5, M50, to North of Ashbourne.	Fingal, Meath		Dublin – Border (Derry)		June 15th, 2006

Dual Carriageways which could be redesignated as Motorways under the Roads Act 2007

The Roads Bill 2007 is due to be passed into law in the Autumn of 2007. This Bill makes provision for the redesignation of suitable dual carriageways to motorway status. The National Roads Authority will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport regarding dual carriageways which the authority believe are suitable for redesignation as Motorway. Below is a list of national primary road dual carriageways where the redesignation would be feasible.

'Route'	'Section'	'Potential Handicaps'	'Viable Solution'
N2	17km N2 Finglas - Ashbourne High Quality Dual Carriageway Scheme	There would be no alternative access to the M50/N2 Interchange on current route if it was redesignated motorway in its entirety.	Redesignate the scheme as the M2 Motorway from Rath, North of Ashbourne to a point 1.45km north of the M50/N2 interchange and leave remainder as the N2. This would allow access and egress to the alternative R135 (old N2) at Coldwinters and 320m south of Kilshane Cross and therefore allow 15.5km of the 17km scheme to be redesignated motorway.

''Please follow the format above and add other routes you are familiar with which are likely to be redesignated as Motorway (e.g N6,N7,N11 etc) given the immiment enactment of the Roads Bill 2007''

National primary roads

This category of road has the prefix "N" followed by one or two digits. The most important routes are numbered N1-N11 ( radiate anti-clockwise from Dublin), with those in the range N12-N33 being cross-country roads. National secondary roads (see next section) are numbered under the same scheme with higher numbers. On road signage, destinations served but not on the route in question are listed in brackets, with the connecting route also listed (see thumbnail).
Northern Ireland route sections (which are classified separately according to NI schemes) are in some cases included in a theoretical complete cross-border route – for example the N3 route, which re-enters the Republic. These are listed here in brackets for completeness (and are present on southern road signage).
This list ignores the sections of route reclassified as motorway (see previous section).

:N1 Dublin - Border (North of Dundalk) - (A1 Newry - Belfast)
:N2 Dublin - Monaghan - (A5 Omagh - Derry)
:N3 Dublin - Cavan - Ballyshannon
:N4 Dublin - Sligo
:N5 (N4 from Dublin) - Longford - Castlebar with planned extension to Westport
:N6 (N4 from Dublin) - Kinnegad - Galway
:N7 Dublin - Limerick
:N8 (N7 from Dublin) - Portlaoise - Cork
:N9 (N7 from Dublin) - Kilcullen - Carlow - Waterford
:N10 (N9 from Dublin) - Paulstown - Kilkenny - Ballyhale - (N9 to Waterford)
:N11 Dublin - Wexford
:N12 Monaghan - (A3 to Belfast)
:N13 (N15 from Sligo) - Stranorlar - Letterkenny - (A2 to Derry, A6, M22, M2 to Belfast)
:N14 Letterkenny - Lifford - (A5 to Strabane)
:N15 Sligo - Donegal - Lifford - (B72, A5 to Derry)
:N16 Sligo - (A4 to Enniskillen, A4, M1 to Belfast)
:N17 Galway - Claremorris - Collooney - (N4 to Sligo)
:N18 (N4, N17 from Sligo) - Claregalway - (N6 from Galway) Oranmore - Ennis - Limerick
:N19 (N18 from Limerick/Ennis) - Shannon Town - Shannon Airport
:N20 Limerick - Cork
:N21 Limerick - Castleisland - Tralee
:N22 Cork - Killarney - Farranfore - Tralee
:N23 (N21 from Limerick) - Castleisland - Farranfore - (N22 to Killarney)
:N24 Limerick - Waterford
:N25 Cork - Waterford - Rosslare Europort
:N26 (N4, N5 from Dublin) - Swinford - Ballina
:N27 Cork city centre - Cork Airport
:N28 Cork - Ringaskiddy
:N29 (Spur off N25 east of Waterford to Belview Port)
:N30 (N25 from Cork, Waterford near New Ross) - Enniscorthy - (N11 to Dublin)
:N31 (Spur off N11 at Dublin to Dún Laoghaire)
:N32 (Continuation of M50 to Malahide Road)
:N33 (Spur off M1 to Ardee)
:(N50) Dublin ring-road. Only exists as the M50, but route set out in legislation as a primary (N) route. [4]

Other roads

While funding for national primary roads is administered centrally by the National Roads Authority (NRA), regional and local roads are less well funded (although funding has increased in the 2000s). Local councils are responsible for these roads, as opposed to the NRA.
'National secondary roads' are also indicated with a "N" prefix, though the number is higher (routes N51 and higher are secondary routes). Typically these roads are of a similar standard or higher than regional roads, many having been properly resurfaced in recent years (so a smooth surface despite many narrow winding sections). Some are of lower quality than the better regional roads, due to the localised funding for such routes.
Examples of national secondary roads are:
:'N52' Dundalk to Nenagh via Mullingar and Tullamore
:N56 Letterkenny to Donegal via Glenties
:'N59' Galway - Clifden - Westport
:'N62' Athlone - Horse and Jockey
:N69 Limerick - Tralee (Coast road via Foynes)
:N71 Cork - Killarney via West Cork
:N72 Killorglin - Killarney - Waterford
:'N74' Cashel - Golden - Tipperary Town
:'N81' Dublin - Tullow
:'N82' Clondalkin, South Dublin to N81 road (via Citywest).
:N85 Ennis - Ennistymon
:N86 Tralee - Dingle
'Regional roads' are indicated with an "R" prefix and a three-digit number, ranging from R1xx in the north-east to R7xx in the south-east of the country. One of the more important regional roads is the R113 (Belgard) road, which forms a dual carriageway between the N7 and N81 roads. Most regional roads are however regular highways, and most are rather narrow country roads.
Other roads ('Local Roads') are not generally referred to by number, but are registered with a four-digit "L" number, taking the form Lxxxx. It is rare to see these numbers on signposts or Ordnance Survey maps, although as of 2006 the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have begun a programme of new signage for regional roads that will incorporate local
road numbers on directional signage (see thumbnails).


^[1].

Old system

Confusingly some old road signs will still carry the previous (now obsolete) classifications, "T" for trunk road, or "L" for link road. Trunk roads were broadly equivalent to the present national roads, and link roads to the present regional roads. However there were some differences. Most notably, the present N5 was not designated as one of the major arteries under the trunk/link system.
Former major trunk routes:
:T1 = present N1 road
:T2 = present N2 road
:T3 = present N4 road
:T4 = present N6 road
:T5 = present N7 road
:T6 = Dublin - Cork (including parts of present N9 road and N8 road)
:T7 = Dublin - Waterford (including most of present N11 road)
:T35 = present N3 road
Unlike the present system, where each road (whether N- or R-) has a unique number, under the trunk/link system, the L-roads were numbered separately beginning with L1. These L classifications are not related to the current Lxxxx numbers for minor roads.

Roads in Northern Ireland

The main roads in Northern Ireland, which connect well with those in the south, are classified "M"/"A"/"B" as in Great Britain, though their numbering is separate from the system in England, Scotland and Wales.

Motorways

The most important roads are motorways, designated as in the Republic and Great Britain by the letter "M". The motorway network is focused on Belfast.
:M1 Belfast - Dungannon
:M2 Belfast - Antrim, plus unconnected Ballymena bypass further to the north
:M3 The Lagan Bridge in Belfast
:M5 A short spur from the M2 at Greencastle in north Belfast to Hazelbank in Whiteabbey
:M12 A short spur from the M1 to the centre of Portadown
:M22 Antrim - Randalstown (Derry)
:A8(M) Part of the A8 which has been upgraded to a motorway

"A" roads

The next most important roads are designated with the prefix "A" and a one-, two- or three-digit number. These are:
:A1 Belfast - Lisburn - Banbridge - Newry - becoming the N1 at the border, joining on to the Irish M1 after Dundalk (North) to Dublin
:A2 Derry - Newry coastal road
:A3 Lisburn - Portadown - Armagh - Middletown joining the N12 at the border which extends to Monaghan. Also used for the part of the Monaghan - Cavan road which is in Northern Ireland.
:A4 Portadown - Dungannon - Clogher Valley - Enniskillen - Belcoo joining the N16 at the border which extends to Sligo
:A5 Derry - Strabane - Omagh - Ballygawley joining the N2 at the border which extends to Monaghan and Dublin
:A6 Belfast - Derry
:A7 Carryduff - Downpatrick
:A8 Belfast - Larne
:A11 Belfast Inner Ring Road
:A12 Westlink dual-carriageway in Belfast
:A20 Belfast - Newtownards - Portaferry
:A21 Bangor - Newtownards - Comber - Ballygowan - Saintfield - A24 north of Ballynahinch
:A22 Dundonald - Comber - Killyleagh - Downpatrick
:A23 Belfast - Ballygowan
:A24 Belfast - Carryduff - Ballynahinch - Dundrum where it meets the A2 for Newcastle and Kilkeel
:A25 Downpatrick - Castlewellan - Newry - South Armagh - becoming the R182 for Castleblayney at the border
:A26 Banbridge - Lurgan - Crumlin - Antrim - Ballymena - Ballymoney - Coleraine
:A27 Newry - Tandragee - Portadown
:A28 Newry - Markethill - Armagh - Aughnacloy - Augher
:A29 Portrush - Coleraine - Maghera - Cookstown - Dungannon - Armagh - Keady - South Armagh where it becomes the R177 for Dundalk
:A30 Lisburn - Glenavy
:A31 Moneymore - Castledawson
:A32 Omagh - Irvinestown - Enniskillen - becoming the N87 towards Ballinamore at the border
:A34 Maguiresbridge - Lisnaskea - Newtownbutler to the border at Clones
:A35 Irvinestown - Kesh - Pettigo - becoming the R234 towards Donegal town at the border
:A36 Ballymena - Larne
:A37 (North) Coleraine - Limavady
:A37 (South) A short stretch of road around Cullaville - that part of the N53 Castleblayney to Dundalk road which is within Northern Ireland
:A40 From Derry City Centre southwest along the River Foyle to the border, where it becomes the R236 towards Raphoe
:A42 Maghera - Portglenone - Ballymena - Carnlough
:A43 Ballymena - Glenarriff
:A44 Ballycastle - Armoy - A26 north of Clough Mills
:A46 Enniskillen - Belleek - becoming the N3 towards Ballyshannon at the border
:A47 Kesh - Belleek
:A48 Newtownards - Donaghadee
:A49 Lisburn - Ballynahinch
:A50 Portadown - Banbridge - Castlewellan - Newcastle
:A51 Gilford - Tandragee - Armagh
:A52 Belfast - Crumlin
:A54 Castledawson - Portglenone - Kilrea - Coleraine
:A55 Belfast Outer Ring Road
:A57 Belfast International Airport - Templepatrick - Ballyclare - Ballynure
:A76 M1 - Lurgan
:A101 M1 - Sprucefield, near Lisburn
:A211 Bridge Street and Newtownards Road in Comber, designated when the A21 Comber Bypass was opened in 2004
:A371 Various roads in Limavady town centre, designated when the A37 Limavady Bypass was opened in 2004
:A501 Belfast - A30 just east of Glenavy
:A505 Omagh - Cookstown
:A509 Enniskillen - Derrylin becoming the N3 to Cavan and Dublin at the border
:A512 Old Golf Course link road in West Belfast and North Lisburn
:A514 Derry Ring Road (Crescent Link)
:A515 Derry Ring Road (Foyle Bridge and Skeoge Link Road)

"B" roads

Less important roads are indicated with the prefix "B" and a one-, two- or three- digit number.

"C" roads

Minor roads can be indicated with the prefix "C" and a one-, two- or three- digit number, though it is very rare to see these marked on signposts or Ordnance Survey maps

Euro Routes

The following Euro Routes include sections in Ireland:

★ E01 - Larne - Belfast - Dublin - Rosslare - A Coruña - Pontevedra - Valença do Minho - Vila Real de Santo António - Huelva - Sevilla

★ E16 - Derry - Belfast ... Glasgow - Edinburgh ... Bergen - Arna - Voss ... Lærdal - Tyin - Fagernes - Hønefoss - Sandvika - Oslo

★ E18 - Craigavon - Belfast - Larne ... Stranraer - Gretna - Carlisle - Newcastle ... Kristiansand - Arendal - Porsgrunn - Larvik - Sandefjord - Horten - Drammen - Oslo - Askim - Karlstad - Örebro - Västerås - Stockholm/Kapellskär ... Mariehamn ... Turku/Naantali - Helsinki - Kotka - Vaalimaa - Vyborg - Saint Petersburg

★ E20 - Shannon - Limerick - Dublin ... Liverpool - Manchester - Kingston upon Hull ... Esbjerg - Copenhagen - Malmö - Helsingborg - Halmstad - Gothenburg - Örebro - Stockholm ... Tallinn - Narva - Saint Petersburg

★ E30 - Cork - Waterford - Wexford - Rosslare ... Fishguard - Swansea - Cardiff - Newport - Bristol - London - Colchester - Ipswich - Felixstowe ... Hoek van Holland - The Hague - Gouda - Utrecht - Amersfoort - Oldenzaal - Osnabrück - Bad Oeynhausen - Hanover - Braunschweig - Magdeburg - Berlin - Świebodzin - Poznań - Warsaw - Brest - Minsk - Smolensk - Moscow - Ryazan - Penza - Samara - Ufa - Chelyabinsk - Kurgan - Ishim - Omsk

★ E201 - Cork - Portlaoise

See also

★ Irish National Secondary Roads

★ Irish Regional Roads

★ Irish Vehicle Registration Plates

★ List of Ireland-related topics

★ Transportation in Ireland

★ National Roads Authority

★ Road speed limits in the Republic of Ireland

References

★ S.I. No. 209/1994: Roads Act, 1993 (Declaration of National Roads) Order, 1994 (revoked)

★ S.I. No. 49 of 1995 Roads Act, 1993 (Declaration of National Roads) Order, 1995 (revoked)

★ S.I. No. 347 of 1996 Roads Act, 1993 (Declaration of National Roads) Order, 1996 (revoked)

★ S.I. No. 26 of 2003 Roads Act, 1993 (Classification of National Roads) (Kilcock – Kinnegad Route) Order, 2003 (revoked)

★ S.I. No. 249 of 2004 Roads Act, 1993 (Classification of National Roads) (Fermoy, Rathcormac and Watergrass Hill) Order, 2004 (revoked)

★ S.I. No. 18 of 2004 Roads Act, 1993 (Classification of National Roads) (Gormanstown to Dundalk Route) Order, 2004 (revoked)

★ Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006 (PDF)- Department of Transport
1. Draft Policy on the Provision of Tourist Signage on National Roads (PDF), page 3 - National Roads Authority

External links

★ Roads Service - Northern Ireland

★ National Roads Authority (Republic of Ireland)

★ Unofficial Northern Ireland road site

★ Unofficial Proposed motorway plans for Belfast

★ Unofficial Motorway Database

★ Unofficial Pathetic Motorways

★ A discussion on RTÉ Radio One's science show Quantum Leap about the quality of GPS mapping in Ireland is available here. The discussion starts 8mins 17sec into the show. It was aired on 18 Jan 2007 Requires Real player.