A8 (Northern Ireland)
A8 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The route of the A8 in red | |
| Route information | |
| Part of E 1 / E 18 | |
| Length | 15.6 mi (25.1 km) |
| A8(M) section | |
| Length | 1.0 mi (1.6 km) |
| South end |   M2 / A6 at Glengormley |
| North end | B56 at Glengormley |
| A8 section | |
| Length | 14.6 mi (23.5 km) |
| South end | B56 at Glengormley |
| North end | Larne Harbour |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | Northern Ireland |
| Road network | |
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The A8 in Northern Ireland is a 15.6-mile-long (25.1 km) route connecting the city of Belfast with the harbour town of Larne. The southernmost mile from the M2 motorway to a roundabout at Corr's Corner, the road is under motorway restrictions as the A8(M). One of the busiest routes in the region, the road forms part of the unsigned European routes E01 and E18. For many years, the A8 was predominantly single carriageway. A major upgrade of the road to dual-carriageway was completed in 2015 which grade separated all major junctions between Coleman's Corner roundabout and Larne.
Route
The A8 begins as a motorway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) long and is a spur of the M2 motorway until it meets a roundabout at Corr's Corner. From this point the road is dual carriageway of varying standard for the entirety of its length, meeting roundabouts at Coleman's Corner and just before Larne. The Harbour Highway, bypassing Larne, is dual carriageway, and includes a grade-separated junction with the A2 and provides a direct link to the Port of Larne. It is part of the unsigned European routes E01 and E18.
The A8(M) does not meet any other motorways directly. One end connects to the A6 at a roundabout, the same roundabout junction also links the A8(M) to the M2[1], and the other end connects to the A8 at Corr's Corner. Although both sides of the road are the same width, the northbound direction has three lanes, one of which is only partly open to traffic, while southbound only has two.[1] Despite being one of the shortest motorways in Northern Ireland, it still includes matrix displays and is classified as a separate road, unlike other similar spurs, such as the Walton Summit motorway spur of the M65, which are classified as parts of other motorways.
History
In 1956 proposals for several motorways, including the M2, were announced with the M2 running directly to Ballymena.[2] Part of this alignment became the A8(M) when in 1964 further plans changed the route of the M2 via Antrim to Coleraine,[2] away from its original direct alignment over difficult terrain,[3] which is how the plans for construction were then progressed. This road was already under construction at Newtownabbey, so it was left as a spur. It was opened to traffic on 24 October 1966.[4]
This section was renamed the A8(M) as it links to the A8 continuing as an A-road all the way to Larne.[5]
Beginning in 2012, a £133-million project (equivalent to £177 million in 2023[6]) was undertaken to upgrade the remaining single carriageway section between Coleman's Corner and Larne to High-quality dual carriageway and replace all major junctions with grade separated overbridges or LILO junctions to improve safety on a previously very dangerous road. In addition, the village of Ballynure, for many years a major bottleneck on the route, was bypassed as part of the part the scheme.[7]
Major junctions
The entire route is in County Antrim.
| Location | mi | km | Exit | Name | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glengormley | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | Sandyknowes Roundabout | M2 – Antrim, Belfast A6 – Glengormley, Antrim, Belfast B90 – Carrickfergus | ||
| 1.0 | 1.6 | 1 | Corr's Corner | B56 (Ballyclare Road) – Glengormley, Ballyclare | A8(M) ends, A8 begins | ||
| Newtonabbey | 2.0 | 3.2 | Houston's Corner | B59 (Doagh Road) – Mossley, Doagh | |||
| 3.4 | 5.5 | B90 (Hillhead Road) / Carntall Road – Doagh | Roundabout | ||||
| 5.3 | 8.5 | — | B95 – Straid | Interchange | |||
| 6.5 | 10.5 | — |  A57 – BallyclareB58 – Ballynure, Carrickfergus | Interchange | |||
| Larne | 8.2 | 13.2 | — | B58 – Ballynure, Ballybracken | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance only | ||
| 9.7 | 15.6 | — | Ballyboley | Interchange | |||
| 11.0 | 17.7 | — | Kilwaughter | Interchange | |||
| Ballyedward | 12.4 | 20.0 | Shaneshill Junction |   A36 (Shaneshill Road) to A26 – Kilwaughter, Ballymena, ColraineB100 (Ballyrickard Road) – Carrickfergus | Roundabout | ||
| Millbrook | 13.1 | 21.1 | B48 (Drumahoe Road) – Millbrook, Cairncastle | Roundabout | |||
| Larne | 15.2 | 24.5 |  A2 (Circular Road) – Town Centre, Glenarm, Carrickfergus | Roundabout | |||
| 15.6 | 25.1 | Larne Harbour – Harbour ferries | Roundabout | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b CBRD Motorway Database – A8(M) (NI) URL accessed 17 June 2006
- ^ a b Northern Ireland Roads Site – History of Motorway Plans
- ^ The Motorway Archive – M2 (Northern Ireland) Archived 25 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Motorway Archive – M2 Northern Ireland Dates page Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Northern Ireland Roads Site – A8(M)
- ^ United Kingdom Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth "consistent series" supplied in Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2024). "What Was the U.K. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Wesley. "A8 dualling - Coleman's Corner to Larne". Northern Ireland Roads Site. Retrieved 18 August 2016.