N54

darkman2 · 15-07-2006 6:11pm #1

Hi, I took a trip up to the border today and travelled along the N54. What a strange road that is. It crosses the border 3 times I noticed with the signage and road markings changing over and over again. Has anyone here used this road?:rolleyes:

nordydan · 15-07-2006 6:34pm

darkman2 wrote:

Hi, I took a trip up to the border today and travelled along the N54. What a strange road that is. It crosses the border 3 times I noticed with the signage and road markings changing over and over again. Has anyone here used this road?:rolleyes:

Yes just as with the N53, the northern authorities actually have the N54/N53 signposted in their format. This road should be refurbished as it provides an important link.

darkman2 · 15-07-2006 6:42pm

nordydan wrote:

Yes just as with the N53, the northern authorities actually have the N54/N53 signposted in their format. This road should be refurbished as it provides an important link.

Didnt go on the N53, actually I got lost due to attrocious signposting in Monaghan I think it was. I was on the road to Derry and somehow ended up on the road to Clones. Having said that I thought the N54 was better on our side of the border. Shows how things have changed. I also prefer our road markings with the orange shoulder as opposed to the white. Noticed a couple of shutdown petrol stations on the Northern side and its bizarre to think I saw two houses side by side, one in the North, one in the Republic......they both pay completely different taxes and live in different 'countries':D

You wouldnt even know you were in the north if its wasnt for the road signings!

nordydan · 15-07-2006 8:52pm

In cullavile, co. armagh its says:

< Dundalk N53 : Castleblaney N53 >

Or something like that. I think both authorities now tell you what the number is on the other side of the border. For such a small island, 2 systems are unnecessary. I think for the 2-3 miles of each that they control that the northern authorities should abandon their numbers for these roads. The N53 turns into the A37 through south armagh which is a joke as there already is an A37 between coleraine and Derry.

Yep the roads are (or very soon will be) a lot better, I especially like the big wide S2 roads that are commonplace. I could do with one between Newry and Downpatrick. Although west of the bann is now getting some belated equality. Towns like Newry and Derry (and Downpatrick) are very different to those say Ballymena and Larne. The real border is actually a lot further north and east.

PS I think the N54 must crosses the border 3 times, otherwise its an MI6 plot!

Diaspora · 15-07-2006 8:58pm

The N54 is a very attractive drive However the overall route from the North midlands/Galway to Belfast is a complete disaster in terms of signage. I must say that whilst the road crosses into two pockets of Fermanagh one hardly notices. Does anyone know who pays for the upkeep of the stretches in Co Fermanagh?

murphaph · 15-07-2006 9:37pm

Diaspora wrote:

Does anyone know who pays for the upkeep of the stretches in Co Fermanagh?

Nigel from Essex.

nordydan · 15-07-2006 9:49pm

Diaspora wrote:

The N54 is a very attractive drive However the overall route from the North midlands/Galway to Belfast is a complete disaster in terms of signage. I must say that whilst the road crosses into two pockets of Fermanagh one hardly notices. Does anyone know who pays for the upkeep of the stretches in Co Fermanagh?

I believe that the N12, N54 and N55 should be combined to form a single primary route from athlone to armagh (N12). The northern authorities would pay for the upkeep of the roads, Roads Service NI.
In fairness they are behaving themselves a bit better these days. They built a roundabout outside strabane for the new N14 and they upgraded the spec for the A1.

A new combined primary route, of a lot higher standard would improve the midlands, which has a grand total of 0 running in a N/S direction.

nordydan · 15-07-2006 10:38pm

murphaph wrote:

Nigel from Essex.

yes the sassenachs are absolutely delighted about the amount of taxes they spend to keep this place running. Money well spent they reckon.

Victor · 16-07-2006 2:25pm

I think there is a photo-essay on it on SABRE.

nordydan · 16-07-2006 3:50pm

Victor wrote:

I think there is a photo-essay on it on SABRE.

Theres one of the N4 anyway

Metrobest · 16-07-2006 4:01pm

darkman2 wrote:

one in the Republic......they both pay completely different taxes and live in different 'countries':D

You wouldnt even know you were in the north if its wasnt for the road signings!

When I cross into Northern Ireland I feel like it's quite foreign: the different architecture, english-sounding names on the shops, street layout in towns, etc..

I always wonder what the unionists of Northern Ireland think of the roads in the Republic. In the past, they were justified in looking at the Republic as a backward nation - the state of the roads being a barometer of the state of the nation.

Twenty years ago, everyone in the south was very jealous of the roads in the North (built from the Westminster life support machine). Meanwhile, the Republic's roads and economy were the laughing stock of Western Europe.

The ecomony has since bloomed but there's still "a lot to do" with the roads.

However, our motorway network in gathering steam. And Dublin will become the only city on the island with a metro system.

Perhaps it's petty, but I hope that in ten years time it'll be northerners' turn to get jealous of our transport system.

Victor · 16-07-2006 4:08pm

Metrobest wrote:

When I cross into Northern Ireland I feel like it's quite foreign: the different architecture, english-sounding names on the shops, street layout in towns, etc..

... a bit like Liffey Valley.

However, our motorway network in gathering steam. And Dublin will become the only city on the island with a metro system.

Well a Metro line anyway.

nordydan · 16-07-2006 4:22pm

Metrobest wrote:

When I cross into Northern Ireland I feel like it's quite foreign: the different architecture, english-sounding names on the shops, street layout in towns, etc..

I always wonder what the unionists of Northern Ireland think of the roads in the Republic. In the past, they were justified in looking at the Republic as a backward nation - the state of the roads being a barometer of the state of the nation.

Twenty years ago, everyone in the south was very jealous of the roads in the North (built from the Westminster life support machine). Meanwhile, the Republic's roads and economy were the laughing stock of Western Europe.

The ecomony has since bloomed but there's still "a lot to do" with the roads.

However, our motorway network in gathering steam. And Dublin will become the only city on the island with a metro system.

Perhaps it's petty, but I hope that in ten years time it'll be northerners' turn to get jealous of our transport system.

Parts are and parts arent. There is a bigger difference between north and south down say than between south down and louth. When I am in Larne/Ballymena even I think its a foreign country!

The unionists already are jealous of the southern transportation system. See this in the collaborating Belfast Telegraph:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=698725

However digs are commonplace regarding EU funding, neglecting the fact that John Bull pays all their bills. NI has a 71% public funded economy, probably worse that China at this stage.

And it is petty, considering the north is getting ever increasing dependent on the south for trade, they will actually welcome any improvements. Only the DUP councillors will say the same tired old things. The south has shown the way. Intransigence and bigotry up here are holding us back.

mackerski · 16-07-2006 8:29pm

Metrobest wrote:

And Dublin will become the only city on the island with a metro system.

Belfast already has one.

Dermot

westtip · 17-07-2006 11:32am

nordydan wrote:

Yes just as with the N53, the northern authorities actually have the N54/N53 signposted in their format. This road should be refurbished as it provides an important link.

Yes it should be upgraded to link the N2 with the M1 (perhaps a good candidate for 2+1 treatment), linking to the N2 the Monaghan bypass and then a good (new road completely) from Monaghan to Enniskillen, with that town bypassed (East-West bypass) and the upgrading of the road from Sligo to Enniskillen we would at long last have an east west route across the northern part of the country providing untold benefit for the BMW and NW region as well as a fantastic infrastructure project for NI to benefit from.

Chances of happening -- err not a lot.

Metrobest · 17-07-2006 2:28pm

nordydan wrote:

However digs are commonplace regarding EU funding, neglecting the fact that John Bull pays all their bills. NI has a 71% public funded economy, probably worse that China at this stage.

And it is petty, considering the north is getting ever increasing dependent on the south for trade, they will actually welcome any improvements. Only the DUP councillors will say the same tired old things. The south has shown the way. Intransigence and bigotry up here are holding us back.

Is the North really dependent on the South? Newspapers there don't really seem to have much coverage of affairs in the Republic. We have different currencies, cultures. To me, the North is still very attached to the UK.

Its transport system is pretty poor. The fact that they call the buses "metro" is something the Advertising Standards Authority should investigate.

Mind you, at least there's a proper all-mode website in Northern Ireland for public transport, the bus stops and shelters in Belfast are passenger friendly and the timetables are clear.

Down South CIE continues to damage the image of Ireland not only to Northern Unionists but to tourists the world over.

One thing I wonder is, why has Belfast not undergone the kind of transformation we've had in Dublin? I think Belfast has a lot of potential to shine. There should be a bitter rivalry between Belfast and Dublin like the one between Dublin and Cork.

Belfast should be looking at Dublin's success stories like Luas and (tourist-wise) Temple Bar and saying, why can't we do that too?

I liked this quote

the Atlantic Road Corridor, from Limerick to Londonderry

Makes it sound almost transatlantic..!

ardmacha · 17-07-2006 7:10pm

There has been talk of much neeed East-West route from Dundalk to Sligo. However I recall that this is to be based on a new Dublin Cavan route, then the N3 to Enniskillen and hence to Sligo. The N53 badly needs upgraded, but there is little sign of this happening. The N54 should be made into the N12 providing a Blefast Galway route.

The lack of a decent Monaghan Enniskillen route is an obvious gap and there are vast gaps in public transport, which nobody seems too bothered about.

nordydan · 17-07-2006 7:50pm

There are issues just east of sligo wth the mountains there. There are plans for a new glenfarne-manorhamilton & m'hamilton byppass. But enniskillen needs both a suthern and western bypass badly. A new road from maguiresbridge to the N54 somewhere near clones would be a help as would a few more bypasses on the A4. The N54 monaghan bypass is in planning, but the N53 needs better integrated into the new N2 castleblaney clontibret bypass. a cullavile RR would also help the route.

And I forgot a belcoo blacklion bypass as well! And the A4 west of Enniskillen is sub standard.

Victor · 17-07-2006 10:16pm

mackerski wrote:

Belfast already has one.

LOL, I wondered once why I had a Metro document in my 'Bus' directory.

nordydan · 17-07-2006 10:27pm

Victor wrote:

LOL, I wondered once why I had a Metro document in my 'Bus' directory.

It also has a metro brasserie restaurant on botanic avenue.
I used to work there.................happy student days......

westtip · 17-07-2006 11:26pm

nordydan wrote:

There are issues just east of sligo wth the mountains there. There are plans for a new glenfarne-manorhamilton & m'hamilton byppass. But enniskillen needs both a suthern and western bypass badly. A new road from maguiresbridge to the N54 somewhere near clones would be a help as would a few more bypasses on the A4. The N54 monaghan bypass is in planning, but the N53 needs better integrated into the new N2 castleblaney clontibret bypass. a cullavile RR would also help the route.

And I forgot a belcoo blacklion bypass as well! And the A4 west of Enniskillen is sub standard.

The swiss don't have too much problems with mountains when it comes to buildng decent roads - nor the countries with european alps, france, germany and Italy. The mountains east of sligo are pimples. True about Enniskillen what a mare that town is - I travelled Sligo Belfast a few months ago on a Friday afternoon what a disaster sitting waiting to get over the river, reminded of Athlone circa 1989 (pre bypass days) and the road to Belfast doesn't improve much until you get within 25 miles of the city. No doubt about an east/west route straddling the border counties would help business both sides of the border maybe we wil get it out of the Agreement ...... zzzzzzzzzzz yawn............

N54

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