N1 road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other roads named N1 see N1.
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| M1 motorway | |
| Length | 51 miles 83 km |
| Direction | South - North |
| Start | Dublin (Whitehall) |
| Primary destinations | Dublin Airport Swords Balbriggan Drogheda Dundalk |
| End | Ballymascanlon |
| Construction dates | - Airport Motorway 1985 Dunleer Bypass 1993 Balbriggan Bypass 1998 Dunleer to Dundalk 2001 Drogheda Bypass 2003 Airport to Balbriggan 2003 Dundalk Bypass 2005 |
| Motorways joined | 3 (1) -  M50 motorway |
The N1 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, partly connecting Dublin and Belfast along the east of Ireland (mostly as the M1 motorway). 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.
The N1 begins at Bachelor's Walk where it connects to the N4. From here it follows O'Connell Bridge, O'Connell Street, Parnell Street, Parnell Square West, Granby Row, Dorset Street Upper (and via North Frederick Street, Parnell Square East and Cavendish Row), Dorset Street Lower, Drumcondra Road and the Swords Road. From here, the M1 motorway commences as the Santry Bypass, and continues the N1 route to north of Dundalk.
[edit] M1 motorway
Almost the entirety of the N1 has been upgraded to motorway standard and is designated the M1 motorway. At 83km (51.9 miles) it is the longest motorway in Ireland. 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. The original N1 route now forms the R132 [1]. On directional roadsigns along the N1 route, the N1 designation is only present between Dublin city centre and Whitehall (the motorway section of the N1 uses the M1 designation). Small yellow route markers along the motorway route also read N1. Old signage marked "N1" has not been updated/removed in some locations along the R132.
The motorway was built in several stages as short disconnected bypasses, replacing the original 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, however this section will lose its motorway status and revert to N1 (see below).
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 Armagh. This is due completion in Quarter 2 of 2007. It will be 15km (9.4 miles) in length. 4.6km (2.9 miles) will be North of the border, and 9.4km (5.9 miles) will be South of the border. The Northern Ireland authorities have no plans to replace the A1 route (currently a mixture of single and dual carriageway) with motorway, although the upgrading of the remaining single carriageway stretches to dual carriageway is underway, as well as plans for several grade separated junctions. Currently, to drive from Dublin to Belfast, one travels along the M1, N1, A1 and M1 (Northern Ireland).
[edit] 2006 changes
As of August 2006, new signage (some of which is currently blanked out) has been erected south of the M50 interchange redesignating the road as the M50 as far as the Dublin Port Tunnel portals, and as the non-motorway N1 thereafter ("end of motorway regulations" signs have been erected at the demerge with the Port Tunnel (M50 Junction 1) southbound). Northbound, the Santry/Coolock exit slip is now the exit for non-motorway traffic, with motorway regulations beginning just after this slip. No Statutory Instrument revoking the motorway regulations has been published yet, meaning that these signs would not yet have legal effect.
[edit] References
| National primary roads of the Republic of Ireland |
|---|
| N1(M1) - N2 - N3(M3) - N4(M4) - N5 - N6(M6) - N7(M7) - N8(M8) - N9(M9) - N10 - N11(M11) - N12 - N13 - N14 - N15 - N16 - N17 - N18 - N19 - N20 - N21 - N22 - N23 - N24 - N25 - N26 - N27 - N28 - N29 - N30 - N31 - N32 - N33 - M50 |
| Roads in Ireland - National secondary roads - Regional roads |
| See also: National Development Plan, National Roads Authority |
