N20 road

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Destinations (N to S)
On route / bypassed
County Limerick Limerick City Dooradoyle Raheen Patrickswell Croom Rockhill	County Cork Charleville Buttevant Newtwopothouse Mallow Ballynamona Blarney Killeens Cross Cork

The N20 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, connecting the cities of Limerick and Cork. Croom, Charleville and Mallow are major towns along the route.

The road leaves the south side of Limerick from the Childers Road, near Roxboro. A short link road brings the route to a roundabout where the N7 Southern Ring Road meets the N20. The route continues from this roundabout as dual carriageway (see thumbnail), bypassing Dooradoyle and Raheen, through which the route used to run until the early 2000s. Interchanges and link roads connect to these locations. Two further interchanges are located on the dual-carriageway, at either end of Patrickswell. At the latter, the N20 route leaves the main road (which continues as the N21 road to Kerry), i.e. one must turn off the dual carriageway to stay on the N20.

N20 on the dual carriageway bypass into Limerick, approaching the exit for Dooradoyle.

A wide two lane road brings traffic along the Croom bypass (prior to construction of this in the early 2000s, the route went through the town). Past this new section of road, narrow two-lane road commences, ending at Charleville. The route passes through the town, running along Main Street. The road between Charleville and the next town, Buttevant is of similar design. At Mallow a relatively high specification road is encountered , with an older bypass of the town (early 1990s) passing up the hill from it as dual carriageway. A viaduct brings the road across the Blackwater River and Valley. The rest of the route to Cork is of high quality wide two lane, with a section of 2+1 road (a pilot installation) south of Mallow. The route becomes dual carriageway on the approach to Cork. New relief roads in Cork bring the route into the city centre while avoiding the winding streets through which the route ran until around 2000.

A 41 km (25 mi) dual carriageway route (Mallow to Croom) is being planned and as of 2006 is at the route selection stage. This will involve bypasses of Charleville and Buttevant, both of which experience traffic congestion.

[edit] References

• Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006 (PDF)- Department of Transport

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