A1 road (Northern Ireland)

The A1 is a major route in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast via Lisburn and Banbridge to the border south of Newry, from where the road continues to Dublin, becoming the N1 road and M1 motorway. Many find it surprising that for a road of its strategic importance, the A1 is not yet fully dual carriageway and of those parts that are dual carriageway, many junctions are built to a relatively low specification as they necessitate right turning movements across a busy central reservation. The entire Belfast-Dublin route within the Republic of Ireland is due to be motorway or dual carriageway by 2007.

Recent Developments

Several safety improvement schemes have been completed. A flyover has been constructed at the busy Rathfriland Road junction in Banbridge and an underpass at the very dangerous Hillsborough road junction in Dromore was completed in June 2005.

Planned Developments

The Roads Service of Northern Ireland has planned to provide four further grade separated junctions. These schemes are located at:
* Dromore Road, Hillsborough
* Banbridge Road, Dromore
* Dublin Road/Grovehill Road, Loughbrickland
* Dromore Road, Banbridge

Further measures envisaged to improve safety and journey times, include a central reservation safety barrier be to constructed from the A1's junction with the M1 at Sprucefield to the end of the present stretch of Dual Carriageway at Loughbrickland. This will involve the closing of many of the dual carriageway's central cross-over points.

The scheme to complete the improvements to the A1, (the dualling of the road between Beech Hill and Cloghoge) is currently going through statutory processes and construction is expected to commence in 2008. This scheme will involve the building of a largely off line new dual carriageway and includes provision for a central reservation safety barrier, hard shoulder and a number of grade separated junctions.

Developments in Progress

Currently, two dualling schemes are underway on the A1:
* A 5.5 mile (9km) stetch of largely on-line dualling is taking place between Loughbrickland and Beech Hill and is scheduled for completion in early 2006.
* as part of the NI-ROI cross border link (the first such road project to be jointly undertaken by the various authorities), a partially off-line/partially on-line 5 km stretch of high quality dual carriageway is being constructed between Cloghoge roundabout (southern end of the Newry bypass) and the border. The road will include a hard shoulder, central reservation safety barrier and no right turn movements. The newly upgraded road will continue in the Republic of Ireland as a dual carriageway initially and subsequently motorway to Dublin. See M1 motorway.

The section of road between Sheepbridge and Newry and also between the Cloghue roundabout and the border is now being enforced by SPECS (Speed Enforcement Camera System). This is the first SPECS installation in Northern Ireland.

Cloghue roundabout and the border is a 1.8 mile long section.

Sheepbridge and Newry is a 2.2 mile long section.

A further section of the A2 between Holywood and Bangor is due to be in force by the end of 2006.

Potential Developments

One remaining scheme that could potentially occur on the A1 is in the vicinity of Sprucefield and Hillsborough. This would involve grade separation of the current Hillsborough roundabout and also a new high quality free flowing junction linking the A1 with the M1 at Sprucefield. Whilst these potential schemes are not currently on the agenda, they may become so in the near future if plans to redevelop the site of the former Maze Prison are implemented.