M2 motorway (Northern Ireland)

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M2 motorway
Length	16.5 miles 26.5 km
Direction	North - South
Start	Duncairn
Primary destinations	Ballymena, Belfast
End	Antrim
Construction dates	1969 - 1975
Motorways joined	1A - M3 Motorway 2 - M5 Motorway M22 motorway
Euroroute(s)	E 01 E 16

M2 motorway
Length	6 miles 9.6 km
Direction	North - South
Start	Teeshan
Primary destinations	Ballymoney, Antrim, Belfast
End	Ballycregy
Construction dates	1969 - 1969
Motorways joined	none

For other uses see M2 motorway (disambiguation).

The M2 is a motorway in Belfast and County Antrim in Northern Ireland and is referred to locally as the new motorway^[1]. It is in two sections, the southern section running from North Belfast to Antrim and the northern section acts as a bypass of Ballymena, with the A26 road linking the 2 sections. In total it is 22 miles (36.2 km). The M2 is one of Northern Ireland's most important motorways, forming most of the main route from Belfast city to both Belfast International Airport and to Derry. It forms part of the unsigned European route E01 & E16 roads.

Contents 1 Route 1.1 Southern Section 1.2 Northern Section 2 History 3 Future Plans 3.1 Southern Section 3.2 Northern Section 4 Junctions 4.1 Southern Section 4.2 Northern Section 5 Trivia 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Route

[edit] Southern Section

The route starts at as a continuation of the M3 to the west of the River Lagan at Duncairn. It strikes north past the docks and to the east of Fortwilliam before turning west on slip roads at junction 2. It now runs through the northern suburbs of Belfast past Whitewell and enters the Hill section as it climbs at a gradient of up to 1 in 15, one of the steepest in the United Kingdom^[2]. It then passes south of Glengormley before leaving the city behind at Ballyvesy. Entering the countryside, it runs parallel to Ballymartin Water before reaching junction 5 north of Templepatrick, then crosses Six Mile Water before arriving to the north of Burnside at junction 6. Running around the north of Antrim, shortly after junction 7 the road meets an incomplete junction where the motorway would have continued to Ballymena. When the road widens, it becomes the M22.

[edit] Northern Section

The Ballymena Bypass begins to the south east of Ballymena at Ballycregy and heads north from a roundabout. Running east of Crebilly it crosses the River Braid and turns more north west to the west of Rabbit Hill passes south of Killyflugh, passes east of Leymore and terminates on the A26 by Teeshan.

[edit] History

A route roughly along the line of the M2 had been planned since the 1930s, but the first concrete plans for the North Approach were announced in 1946^[3]. In 1956 proposals for several motorways, including the M2, were announced with the M2 running directly to Ballymena^[4]. Part of this alignment became the A8(M). In 1964 the plans were further extended to route the M2 via Antrim to Coleraine^[4], away from its original direct alignment over difficult terrain^[5], which is how the plans for construction were then progressed. The A8(M) was already under construction, so it was left as a spur.

Due to financial restraints, it was decided to prioritise the sections of the road required urgently, with the first stage being started on 2 September 1963^[5]. Construction continued until 1975, with the road being opened in the following sections:

• Junctions 1 to 2 opened in 1973
• Junctions 2 to 4 opened in 1966
• Junctions 4 to 5 opened in 1975
• Junctions 5 to M22 opened in 1971
• Junctions 10 to 12 opened in 1969

In 1993 junction 7 was opened to provide access to Antrim Area Hospital.

The section between Junctions 7 and 10 was to be the next section constructed, but with the onset of The Troubles and then direct rule, nearly all the planned motorway projects were cancelled. The A26 between M22 Junction 1 and Junction 10 of the M2 was progressively upgraded to a dual carriageway and so it is now unlikely that the M2 will ever be completed.

[edit] Future Plans

[edit] Southern Section

• Junction 7 is currently exit only in both directions. The Northern Ireland Road Service have begun construction on the new slip roads^[6]

• A scheme is due to get underway in 2007 to widen the M2 to 3 lanes city bound between junctions 2 and 4 and remodel the Sandyknowes roundabout (junction 4)^[7].
• A £50 m plan announced on 31 July 2006 will, if approved in Autumn 2006, see a flyover link constructed directly between the M2 and A12 Westlink between 2010 and 2015^[specify].

[edit] Northern Section

• The M2 currently ends at a roundabout junction, with provision for the unbuilt section between junctions 7 and 10. The A26 currently leaves this roundabout at an at-grade junction. It is planned to extend the route under the roundabout at junction 10 to connect with the A26 requiring around 1 mile (1.6km) of new build road^[8].

[edit] Junctions

[edit] Southern Section

M2 Motorway
Eastbound exits	Junction	Westbound exits
Road continues as M3 to Belfast City Airport	J1A	Belfast (West), The West, The South A12 (M1)
Belfast (West), The West, The South A12 (M1)		Road becomes M2
Docks, Belfast City Centre A2	J1B	No exit
Duncrue Industrial Estate, Belfast Harbour Estate, Shore Road, Docks (North), Fortwilliam A2	J1	Duncrue Industrial Estate, Belfast Harbour Estate, Shore Road, Docks (North), Fortwilliam A2
Greencastle, Carrickfergus A2	J2 Greencastle Interchange	Carrickfergus, Whiteabbey M5 Whitewell, Rathcoole A2
Larne A8(M) Glengormley A6	J4 Sandyknowes Roundabout	Larne A8(M) Glengormley A6
Larne, Ballyclare, Templepatrick A57	J5	Larne, Ballyclare, Templepatrick, Belfast International Airport A57
Antrim B95	J6 Rathbeg Roundabout	Antrim B95
Antrim Area Hospital	J7 Croskennan Bridge	Antrim Area Hospital
Road becomes M2		Road becomes M22
	M22 J1 Dunsilly Roundabout	Ballymena A26 (M2) Antrim A26
Ballymena A26 Antrim A26		Road continues as M22 to Derry/Londonderry

Note there is no Junction 3

[edit] Northern Section

M2 Motorway
Northbound exits	Junction	Southbound exits
Road continues as A26 to Balleycastle	J12	Ballymena A26
Ballymena A26		Start of Motorway
Ballymena, Broughshane A42	J11 Broughshane Road Bridge	Ballymena, Broughshane A42
Start of Motorway	J10 Terminus	Belfast, Antrim A26 (M2) Ballymena, Larne A36

[edit] Trivia

• Junctions 1B and 7 are the only motorway junctions in the United Kingdom that consist solely of motorway exits, with no entry slip-roads (once you leave the motorway, you can't get back on).
• The M2 connects with all the other motorways in Northern Ireland except the M1 and M12.
• The section of the M2 between the Junctions 1A and 2 is 10 lanes (dual 5 lanes) and was the widest motorway in the United Kingdom when opened.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom
• Roads in Ireland

[edit] External links

• CBRD
  • Motorway Database - M2 (Northern Ireland)
  • CBRD Media:
    • Video I including the A8(M)
    • Video II from the A2/M5 junction to M3
• Northern Ireland Roads Site - M2
• The Motorway Archive - M2 (Northern Ireland)

	Roads and Motorways in Northern Ireland
Motorways: M1 | M2 | M3 | M5 | M12 | M22 | A8(M)
Main 'A' Roads: A1 | A2 | A4 | A5 | A7 | A20 | A24 | A36
Belfast: Donegall Square | Donegall Road | Falls Road | Malone Road | Shankill Road | Westlink

	Motorways in the United Kingdom
Great Britain: M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898
A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M)
	Northern Ireland: M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M)	edit
Past: M16 • M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M)    Unbuilt: M12 • M13 • M15 • M31 • M64    Future: M4 Toll