N1 road
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other roads named N1 see N1.
Template:UK motorway routebox The N1 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin and Belfast along the east of Ireland. The route heads north via Drogheda and Dundalk to the Northern Irish border just south of Newry, where it becomes the A1 and further on, the M1 (Northern Ireland).
The route is part of European route E1.
M1 motorway
Most of the N1 has been replaced by road of motorway standard and is marked out as the M1. As of 2005, it runs from south of the M50 ring road in Dublin, to just north of Dundalk town, bypassing the intermediate towns through which the original route travelled. Thus, apart from the stretch of road between Dublin city centre and Whitehall, only locations along the original N1 route where old signage has not been updated/removed are marked as the N1 on directional road signs (small yellow route and distance markers along the motorway route also read N1). At 83km it is the longest motorway in Ireland.
The motorway was built in several stages as short disconnected bypasses, replacing the N1 route. The first section opened was the Airport Motorway between Whitehall and Dublin Airport, only the second motorway opened in the Republic of Ireland, and the only section with the 1980s style direction signs still intact. Part of this original M1 is now a spur to Dublin Airport, while another part. between Whitehall to the M50 interchange is now narrowed to two lanes (although still grade separated and with full motorway regulations) as a result of the Dublin Port Tunnel work. This configuration will remain the completion of the tunnel.
There is a toll on the motorway south of Drogheda to fund the construction of the motorway. Work began in 2004 on a bypass of Dundalk, and was completed three months ahead of schedule in 2005, extending the motorway to just south of the Border. Construction commenced in 2005 on a cross-border stretch of dual-carriageway linking the northern end of the M1 with the A1 near Newry in County Down. This is due completion in Quarter 2 of 2007. The Northern Ireland authorities have no plans to replace the A1 route (currently a mixture of single and dual carriageway) with motorway. Currently, to drive from Dublin to Belfast, one travels along the M1, N1, A1 and M1 (Northern Ireland). Image:Boynebridge.jpg
Most of the motorways junctions are not numbered, however of the four that are, two junctions share the number Junction 3 (the M50 and Swords). Because of this, it is speculated that the route south of the M50 interchange to the Dublin Port Tunnel will be renumbered as M50, and the Dublin Port Tunnel would share this route number. This would also account for the missing junctions 1-2 on the M50 and the decision to give the non-motorway section of the C-Ring betweent the M1 and Malahide road the designation N32 road rather than N50.