Roads in Northern Ireland

A1 near Newry

The main roads in Northern Ireland are signed "M"/"A"/"B" as in Great Britain. Whereas the roads in Great Britain are numbered according to a zonal system, there is no available explanation for the allocation of road numbers in Northern Ireland, though their numbering is separate from the system in England, Scotland and Wales.

In Northern Ireland, DfI Roads is responsible for all 25,792 kilometers (16,026 mi) of roads. Road users also have the Highway Code for Northern Ireland, which provides guidance on the legal aspects of driving on Northern Ireland's roads.

Motorways

The most important roads are motorways, designated by the letter "M". The motorway network is focused on Belfast. Legal authority for motorways existed in the Special Roads Act of 1963 similar to that in the Special Roads Act 1949 in Great Britain. The first motorway to open was the M1 motorway, though it did so under temporary powers until the Special Roads Act had been passed. Work on the motorways continued until the 1970s when the oil crisis and The Troubles both intervened causing the abandonment of many schemes. The M3 was the final motorway scheme in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in its entirety to open.

Number	Length (mi)	Length (km)	Southern or western terminus	Northern or eastern terminus	Formed	Removed	Notes
M1	38.0	61.2	Belfast	Dungannon	01962-01-011962	current	Via Lisburn and Craigavon, in the direction of Sligo, Enniskillen and Omagh. The motorway forms the main Dublin-Belfast route until Sprucefield.
M2	28	45	Belfast	Ballymena	01966-01-011966	current	In two sections built at different stages, one linking Belfast to Antrim, and the other bypassing Ballymena. The section in between was planned, but never built. Main route out of Belfast to Derry, Coleraine and Larne.
M3	0.8	1.3	M2 in north Belfast	A2 Sydenham Bypass in the east of the city	01995-01-011995	current	Lagan Bridge
M5	1.4	2.3	M2 in north Belfast	Newtownabbey	01980-01-011980	current	Forms part of the Belfast-Carrickfergus route.
M12	1.5	2.4	M1	Craigavon	01970-01-011970	current	A spur from the M1 near Derrymacash to the centre of Craigavon.
M22	5.6	9.0	Antrim	Randalstown	01971-01-011971	current	Linking the M2 at Antrim to Randalstown. Forms part of the main road between Belfast and Derry.
A8(M)	1.0	1.6	M2	Ballyhenry	01966-01-011966	current	A spur from the M2 at Sandyknowes near Glengormley to Corr's Corner Roadabout on the A8 north-west of Newtownabbey. Forms part of the Belfast-Larne route.

"A" roads

See also: List of A roads in Northern Ireland

The next most important roads are designated with the prefix "A" and a one-, two- or three-digit number.

"B" roads

See also: List of B roads in Northern Ireland

Less important roads are indicated with the prefix "B" and a one-, two- or three- digit number.

"C" roads

Minor roads can be indicated with the prefix "C" and a one-, two- or three- digit number, though it is very rare to see these marked on signposts or Ordnance Survey maps

E-roads

Though unsignposted, the following Euro Routes include sections of roads in Northern Ireland:

• E01 – Larne – Belfast – Dublin – Rosslare – A Coruña – Pontevedra – Valença do Minho – Vila Real de Santo António – Huelva – Sevilla
• E16 – Derry – Belfast ... Glasgow – Edinburgh ... Bergen – Arna – Voss ... Lærdal – Tyin – Fagernes – Hønefoss – Sandvika – Oslo
• E18 – Craigavon – Belfast – Larne ... Stranraer – Gretna – Carlisle – Newcastle ... Kristiansand – Arendal – Porsgrunn – Larvik – Sandefjord – Horten – Drammen – Oslo – Askim – Karlstad – Örebro – Västerås – Stockholm/Kapellskär ... Mariehamn ... Turku/Naantali – Helsinki – Kotka – Vaalimaa – Vyborg – Saint Petersburg

Trunk Roads

In Northern Ireland, Trunk Roads have carried administrative numbers that appear in legislation.

Number	Length (mi)	Length (km)	Southern or western terminus	Northern or eastern terminus		Formed	Removed	Notes
T 1	—	—	Belfast	Bangor	M3 A2	—	—
T 2	—	—	Belfast	Newcastle	A24 A2	—	—
T 3	—	—	Belfast	Derry	A12 M1 A4 A5 A2 A38	—	—	via Dungannon, spurs to border at Lifford ( N 15) and Coshquin ( N 13)
T 4	—	—	Lisburn	border at Killen ( N 1)	A101 A1	—	—
T 5	—	—	Craigavon	border at Middletown ( N 12)	M12 A3	—	—
T 6	—	—	border at Augnacloy ([[[File:IRL N2.svg|x24px|link=|alt=]] N 2)	border at Belcoo ( N 16)	A5 A4	—	—
T 7	—	—	Belfast	Derry	M2 M22 A26 M2 A26 A29 A37 A2 A2	—	—	via Coleraine
T 8	—	—	Moira	Moneymore	A26 A6 A26 M22 A6 A31	—	—	via Antrim
T 9	—	—	Newtownabbey	Larne	A8(M) A8	—	—
T 10	—	—	Cookstown	border at Aghalane (N3)	A505 A32 A509	—	—
T 11	—	—	Belfast	Bangor	A20 A21	—	—	via Newtownards
T 12	—	—	Belfast	Newtownards	A22 A21	—	—	via Comber
T 13	—	—	Carryduff	Downpatrick	A7	—	—
T 14	—	—	Belfast Outer Ring		A55	—	—
T 15	—	—	Warrenpoint	Coleraine	A2 A28 A29	—	—
T 16	—	—	Craigavon	Newry	A27	—	—
T 17	—	—	Castledawson	Derry	A6	—	—
T 18	—	—	Clough Mills	Ballycastle	A44	—	—
T 19	—	—	Ballymena	Kilwaughter	A36	—	—
T 20	—	—	Belfast International Airport	Ballynure	A57 A6 A57	—	—
T 21	—	—	Belfast	Carrickfergus	M5 A2	—	—
T 22	—	—	Derry Ring Road		A514 A515	—	—
T 23	—	—	Enniskilleen	border at Belleek ( N 3)	A46	—	—

See also

• Roads in the United Kingdom
• Roads in the Republic of Ireland
• Local roads in Ireland
• History of roads in Ireland
• Northern Irish Vehicle Registration Plates
• Transport in Ireland