Introduction

The Irish Road Network is classified as a system of National,

Regional and County Roads. (92,300km.)

National Primary Routes: (2,700km. Carrying 20% of total

traffic.) Designated (N or M, 1 50)

Long distance through routes, including those from major

points of entry;
Heavy traffic volumes > 1,000 vehicles per day;
Serving as connectors between principal cities and large
towns;
Serving major geographical regions;
Having continuity throughout their length;
Serving in aggregate a higher proportion of the population.
Introduction
National Secondary Routes: (2,700km. Carrying 18% of total
traffic.) Designated (N or M, 51 100)
Medium length through and semi through routes;
Carrying medium to heavy traffic volumes > 700 vehicles per day;
Serving as connectors between principle towns;
Serving medium to large geographical regions;
Forming extensions to the National Primary Routes;
Linking the National Primary Routes.

Regional Roads: (6,000km.)

These serve as the main feeders or connectors to the National
Primary Routes

Euroroutes:
E01 Larne-Belfast-Dublin-Rosslare-La Coruna-Lisbon-Seville;
E20 Shannon-Limerick-Portlaoise-Naas-Dublin-Liverpool-Hull-Esjerb-
Copenhagen-Malmo-Saint Petersburg;
E30 Cork-Waterford-Rosslare-Fishgard-London-Felixtowe-Hook of
Holland-Warsaw-Moscow.
Introduction
National Roads Authority

The NRA's primary function is to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads. It
has overall responsibility for the planning and supervision of construction and maintenance of national
roads.
In addition, the NRA has a number of specific functions under the Act, including:
preparing, or arranging for the preparation of road designs, maintenance programmes and schemes
for the provision of traffic signs on national roads;
securing the carrying out of construction, improvement and maintenance works on national roads;
allocating and paying grants for national roads, and
training, research or testing activities in relation to any of its functions.

Historically, the NRA has discharged these functions through the relevant local road authorities. However, it
is empowered (where it considers it would be more convenient, expeditious, effective or economical to do
so) to carry out such functions directly.

The NRA has a general power to direct the road authority to do any other thing which arises out of or is
consequential on or is necessary or expedient for the purposes of or would facilitate the construction or
maintenance of a national road.

The NRA may give specific directions to local road authorities relating to a number of matters, including
making a motorway scheme; application for a bridge order; acquiring land by compulsory purchaser order;
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and entering into contracts for and/or undertaking
specified construction or maintenance works.

Section 57 of the Act, as amended by the Planning and Development Act, 2000, allows the NRA to prepare
a scheme for the establishment of a system of tolls in respect of the use of a public road. The NRA may
also enter into an agreement with another person whereby that person agrees, inter alia, to pay some or
all of the costs of the construction and/or maintenance of the road and/or to upgrade and manage the
road. Toll charges may be used to repay all or part of the private funding involved.
Introduction
Roads Programmes
Policy and
Planning
Framework
for Roads
January 1985
Roads Programmes
Policy and
Planning
Framework
for Roads
January 1985
Roads Programmes
Ireland Road
Development
1989 to 1993
Roads Programmes
Ireland Road
Development
1989 to 1993
Roads Programmes
Ireland Road
Development
1989 to 1993
Roads Programmes
A Platform for
Change
Strategy 2000-2016 (DTO)
Roads Programmes
Transport 21, 2006-2015

Transport 21, announced by Government in November 2005, sets out a comprehensive development
programme for the network of national roads over the period 2006 to 2015. The funding available to the
Authority over the ten years is in the order of 16.5 billion. The national road development strategy includes
the following:
National Primary Roads
Complete the development of the five major interurban motorways, linking Dublin with Belfast, Cork, Galway,
Limerick and Waterford by the end of 2010;
Complete the development of dual carriageways to Ashbourne on the N2, Kells on the N3, and Gorey on the
N11;
Improve strategic national roads links with Northern Ireland and to the west and northwest by upgrading the
N2, N3, N4 and N5;
Develop the Atlantic Road Corridor from Letterkenny to Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. This will connect
the National Spatial Strategys (NSS), 2002-2020 Gateway Cities.
Improve other key national primary routes including the N21 from Limerick to Tralee, the N22 from Killarney to
Cork, the N24 from Limerick to Waterford, the N25 to Rosslare and the N30 Enniscorthy to New Ross route.

National Secondary Roads

Targeted improvements will also be undertaken on a number of national secondary routes which are of
particular importance for regional development. These routes include:
the N52 from Dundalk to Nenagh and the N80 from Moate to Enniscorthy, both of which are key cross country
linking corridors identified in the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002 - 2020;
the N56 Donegal Coastal Route;
the N59 coastal route from Sligo via Westport to Galway;
the N67 and N68 along the Clare coast;
the N69 along the Shannon Estuary from Limerick to Tralee;
the N70, N71 and N86 coastal and peninsular routes in Cork and Kerry, and
the N81 to Blessington in Wicklow.
Roads Programmes
The 184 billion National Development Plan 2007-2013 builds on the significant social and economic
achievements of the NDP/CSF (2000-2006). Launched in January 2007, and entitled Transforming Ireland
- A Better Quality of Life for All, this new seven year plan is another major milestone in building a
prosperous Ireland for all its people, characterised by sustainable economic growth, greater social inclusion and
balanced regional development.
The Plan is the largest and most ambitious investment programme ever proposed for Ireland. It builds on, and
consolidates, the achievements of the previous Plan, and provides 54.6 billion for investment in economic
infrastructure.
Under NDP Transport Programme some 13.3 billion will be invested in the national road network over the period of
the Plan. The principal objectives will be removing the remaining infrastructure bottlenecks that constrain
economic development and inhibit balanced regional development with the:
Completion by 2010 of the major inter urban routes linking Dublin with Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Cork and
Waterford;
Upgrade of the M50 by 2010 which will convert to barrier free tolling in 2008;
Improvement of national road links between the main National Spatial Strategy Gateways;
Ongoing development of the Atlantic Road Corridor from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and
Waterford;
Continued upgrading of national road links with Northern Ireland;
Undertaking of feasibility and planning work on the Dublin Outer Orbital and Eastern Bypass schemes; and
Targeted improvements on a number of key national secondary routes as outlined in the Transport 21 Plan.
Investment in national roads will be utilised to implement the objectives of the National Spatial Strategy. Particular
focus will therefore be on investment in national road routes which link the Gateways, including a major
upgrading of the Atlantic Road Corridor, which links many of the Gateways outside of Dublin. Among the
national secondary routes to be prioritized will be routes between the Gateways outside Dublin including
upgrading roads linking the Midlands Gateway centres of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar.
Introduction
COST OF HIGHWAYS
Initial costs:
Investigation, design and supervision
Land acquisition
Construction
Long-term costs:
Maintenance
Operation e.g. tool-booth manning, street lighting

Construction activity % cost

Preliminaries, miscellaneous etc. 2 to 6
Site clearance and accommodation works 2 to 12
Earthworks 15 to 30
Drainage 10 to 15
Carriageway works 25 to 40
Bridges 0 to 20
Footpaths, verges, signs etc. 2 to 5
Service alterations 2 to 15
Introduction
Project time scales
From inception to award of contract
Very small 3 to 9 months
Small/medium 1 to 2 years
Medium/large 2 or 3 years
Very large 4 or more years