N1 road

For other roads named N1 see N1.


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.

M1 motorway

Almost the entirity of the N1 has been upgraded to motorway standard and is designated the M1 motorway. At 83km 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 [Roads Act 1993 (Classification of Regional Roads) Order 2006] (PDF) - [Department of Transport]. 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.

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).

The Boyne River Bridge, one of the main engineering features of the M1 motorway, crosses the River Boyne west of Drogheda.

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.

References

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

National Primary Routes 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 Routes - Regional Roads
See also: National Development Plan, National Roads Authority

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