National Primary Road - Upgrages To Motorway Status and High Quality Dual Carriageways

Upgrages To Motorway Status and High Quality Dual Carriageways

Under the National Development Plan, the major national motorways - the N1 from Dublin to the Border, N6 (along with that section of the N4 leading to it) Dublin to Galway, N7 Dublin to Limerick, N8 Portlaoise to Cork, and N9 Dublin to Waterford are being upgraded to motorway or high-quality dual-carriageway standard. These roads have at least two lanes in each direction, an unbroken central median, and access only at special interchanges. In addition motorways have a set of regulations limiting access to certain types of motor vehicle traffic and other special rules, including higher speed limits of 120 km/h. Upgrades to the specified roads are intended to be completed by 2010. In addition, a new motorway – the M50 – has been built around Dublin. Where a section of national primary road is designated a motorway, signage is white-on-blue instead of white-on-green, in addition, the prefix "N" is dropped, and replaced with "M" instead on road signs. A high quality dual carriageway may be redesignated a motorway by means of an order under the Roads Act 2007.

In addition to the major inter-urbans, the N11, N17, N18, N20, N21, and N25 – all of which form links between regional cities or other strategic links – will have major sections of good standard dual carriageway (in the N18's case, the entire route is planned to be dual carriageway or motorway), with some sections of motorway also possible. Current plans are to substantially replace the existing N20 with a motorway (the M20).

Based on the combined lengths of existing roads, current construction and proposed future construction, it is probable that over 50% of the national primary road network will be either motorway, high-quality dual carriageway or 2+2 dual-carriageway by 2015. Approximately 38.5% (1,105 km) of the network may be motorway.