M1 to Newry - completion date?

D'Peoples Voice · 29-09-2009 3:18pm

It will be good to have the Newry bypass finally finished especially now that the exchange rate is EUR/GBP 0.9119 this morning - travelling up to Sprucefield and Banbridge can be so stressful at the minute because of that awful roundabout outside Newry at the end of the N1/A1!

nordydan · 29-09-2009 3:56pm

MYOB wrote: »

Its already all dualled. The roundabouts at Hillsborough and Sprucefield will remain for the moment.

Some busy median breaches have/are currently being converted to overbridges to reduce the risk of high speed collisions but its nowhere close to a full HQDC refit.

Eventually the Sprucefield roundabouts will be bypassed with the M1 A1 Link leaving Hillsborough as the only roundabout between Dublin and Belfast.

As part of that scheme a flyover will be built at the Hillsborough roundabout leaving no gaps between North Belfast and Dublin. AFAIK they are reviewing this link. I think an alternative route further West would be better as it would bypass a lot of poor spec D2 (even if it doas now have GSJ's)

Idbatterim · 27-10-2009 3:00pm

For all the complaining about the roads here for years! I drive from south county dublin all the way to the border, on our nice new motorways, you arrive at the border and its like here was 10 years ago! how in gods name was newry not bypassed years ago!

Stark · 27-10-2009 3:08pm

There is a bypass of Newry but it's single carriageway. It's currently being upgraded to a HQDC bypass.

shamwari · 27-10-2009 3:34pm

Tailbacks into Newry yesterday afternoon from the south were nearly 5 miles long. The sooner that new road is complete, the better.

dereko1969 · 27-10-2009 5:10pm

Took me an hour from Monkstown to the border then 50 minutes :mad: to get from the Border to beyond Newry on Saturday afternoon, painful. My mates had headed up a couple of hours earlier than me and were fine so it's not the whole time that it's bad, just when it's bad it's brutal.

ipodrocker · 08-12-2009 12:49pm

the best thing head up as early as you can to avoid the traffic and your grand.

whosedaddy? · 08-12-2009 2:47pm

from Wesley johnston
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a1beechhillcloghogue.html

On Thursday, 3rd December traffic was allowed onto a 1km stretch over the top of the Cloghogue flyover (also one lane each way). This is an effort to ease traffic, because last year thousands of Southern shoppers flocking to Newry for cheap purchases virtually blocked the A1 here. Roads Service have warned drivers that this is not permanent, and the flyover may have to close again in the New Year. The Belfast Telegraph notes that almost 1/3 of the length of the new road is now in use.

Can anyone report on the difference this makes.

Cionád · 08-12-2009 3:24pm

whosedaddy? wrote: »

from Wesley johnston
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a1beechhillcloghogue.html

Can anyone report on the difference this makes.

Used it last Friday evening, didn't have to stop until about 500m after the new bridge (Cloghogue flyover), so the traffic jam has just moved to the next roundabout. Much of the Newry bound traffic will use the new slip road, so at least some of the excess will be removed.

Traffic is so variable bypassing Newry so it's hard to say what the impact is based on just one trip. It took about 20mins to get from the border to Sheepbridge, which is fairly decent for a Friday evening. The return also took about 20mins on a Monday morning.

M1 to Newry - completion date?

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