N roads that shouldn't be N roads

Jayuu · 05-11-2010 6:33pm #1

The "N roads you hate" thread starting me thinking about routes which are marked as national routes but which serve no real purpose as such. For the main part these are routes which serve only as link roads in built up areas and could easily be designated as regional routes.

A couple of examples:

N31 - A Primary route in two parts. The northern part of this route runs from Dun Laoghaire to the N11. According to OpenStreetMap the southern part of the route then runs from Leopardstown to the M50 (GoogleMaps has this section marked as the R113 but I trust OpenStreetMap more than them). Urban speed limits exist upon all of this route to the best of my knowledge.
N32 - A Primary route with a speed limit restriction of 60 kph along its entire 2 km length. While it is technically a 2+2 road now (because of the removal of bus lanes) it has no central barrier and a few median crossings.
N82 - A Secondary route that links the N7 with the N81 and has 6 roundabouts in a two mile stretch. Again I've not driven it anyway recently but from what I recall its mainly WS2 and being in a built-up area I refuse to believe it has a national route speed limit.

There are probably a few more of these around if you care to look. Can somebody explain the reasonings behind these designations? Surely all of the above could easily be R routes with no alteration in their usage. Why are they classified as N routes?

charlemont · 05-11-2010 6:36pm

first off,, N52 from Dundalk south to Ardee , pointless as N33 and M1 replicate route....

N87 enough said.....

veryangryman · 05-11-2010 10:40pm

charlemont wrote: »

first off,, N52 from Dundalk south to Ardee , pointless as N33 and M1 replicate route....

N87 enough said.....

Any N road section that leads into a town/city centre - I dont think theres even 1 N road that doesnt do this (maybe N6-ish)

Chris_5339762 · 05-11-2010 10:45pm

N29.

Whats the point?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N29_road_%28Ireland%29

charlemont · 05-11-2010 11:03pm

veryangryman wrote: »

Any N road section that leads into a town/city centre - I dont think theres even 1 N road that doesnt do this (maybe N6-ish)

the N9 ( all few hundred metres of it ) stops at Granagh Interchange and an R road takes you into Waterford City but in fairness its an awesome road it should clearly be N9 till the roundabout at Rice bridge..

JupiterKid · 06-11-2010 3:49am

On, there's quite a few IMO. i would have the following on my list for removal of N status.

N83 - pointless - it only replicates the N17 further to the West and is a grossly substandard twisty death trap of a boreen.

N86 - Why does the Dingle peninsula have to be served by an N category road? Its standard doesn't justify its N status anyhow.

N87 - was only designated a National Secondary after the N3 was closed off at the border and it acted as the alternative border crossing. Since the N3 border crossing re-opened in the mid 1990s it is redundant.

N52 between Dundalk and Ardee - agree with other posters that this road is largely redundant since the M1/N33 link opened a decade ago. It's also an atrocious standard of road with numerous sharp corners and is narrow along all of its length.

corktina · 06-11-2010 2:22pm

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

N29.

Whats the point?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N29_road_%28Ireland%29

i imagine is the point is for accounting purposes, the NRA pay for maintenanve of N roads.

Chris_5339762 · 06-11-2010 2:27pm

I reckon we should build an M29 and get our coveted place on Pathetic Motorways back now that the M32 is no more

Jayuu · 06-11-2010 7:23pm

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I reckon we should build an M29 and get our coveted place on Pathetic Motorways back now that the M32 is no more

The M32 still exists according to the NRA's maps, or at least that bit of motorway still exists. As far as they are concerned the N32 only begins at the roundabout at Woodlands (or Bewleys). Somebody on OpenStreeMap has decided that it now extends to the old M50/M1 main roundabout but that's not the case. I'd like to change it back but I don't know how to make changes to OpenStreetMap.

M50 Junction Map

charlemont · 06-11-2010 7:48pm

The M/N32 is pointless as a national route, maybe a secondary classification would suit it.. But with regards to the N29, its similar to the N19/N27/N28/N31 in that there only purpose is to link the Airport/Port to the nearest National route/city...

mk6705 · 06-11-2010 9:06pm

Jayuu wrote: »

While it is technically a 2+2 road now (because of the removal of bus lanes) it has no central barrier and a few median crossings.

Don't mean to be picky here now, but for a road to be "technically 2+2" it has to have a central barrier.

Jayuu · 07-11-2010 2:51am

Adro947 wrote: »

Don't mean to be picky here now, but for a road to be "technically 2+2" it has to have a central barrier.

What would it be classified as then? Not being smart. I didn't realise 2+2 meant the necessity of a central barrier.

L1011 · 07-11-2010 3:53am

Jayuu wrote: »

What would it be classified as then? Not being smart. I didn't realise 2+2 meant the necessity of a central barrier.

S4. (vBulletin thinks this post is too short)

mk6705 · 07-11-2010 2:31pm

Jayuu wrote: »

What would it be classified as then? Not being smart. I didn't realise 2+2 meant the necessity of a central barrier.

Well the reason it's 2+2 is because there's a barrier in the middle, dividing the carriageways. As MYOB points out, it would be S4 otherwise.

Victor · 09-11-2010 5:29am

National routes are about two main things (a) providing people with a complete journey with national route designation from as close to the points of origin and desination as possible and (b) funding.

Jayuu wrote: »

N31 - A Primary route in two parts. The northern part of this route runs from Dun Laoghaire to the N11. According to OpenStreetMap the southern part of the route then runs from Leopardstown to the M50 (GoogleMaps has this section marked as the R113 but I trust OpenStreetMap more than them). Urban speed limits exist upon all of this route to the best of my knowledge.

Connects Dun Laoghaire Port with the M50.

N32 - A Primary route with a speed limit restriction of 60 kph along its entire 2 km length. While it is technically a 2+2 road now (because of the removal of bus lanes) it has no central barrier and a few median crossings.

Extension of M50 and served as part of an important link ot the port until the tunnel was built.

N82 - A Secondary route that links the N7 with the N81 and has 6 roundabouts in a two mile stretch. Again I've not driven it anyway recently but from what I recall its mainly WS2 and being in a built-up area I refuse to believe it has

It connects the N81 and N7 without having to use the M50. I think the Outer Ring Road could take over the designation (making it the most abused route ever, having been completely re-reouted twice).

a national route speed limit.

What is this?

L1011 · 09-11-2010 9:33am

Victor wrote: »

What is this?

I'd assume he means 100km/h, the default for type on an N road.

Jayuu · 09-11-2010 3:11pm

MYOB wrote: »

I'd assume he means 100km/h, the default for type on an N road.

That's what I meant!

And while I can accept the funding part of Victor's comments, the first part doesn't make any real difference. What exactly is gained from having a National Route designation from one point to another?

Victor · 09-11-2010 5:30pm

Jayuu wrote: »

That's what I meant!

And while I can accept the funding part of Victor's comments, the first part doesn't make any real difference. What exactly is gained from having a National Route designation from one point to another?

Relative simplicity in planning a journey - just follow the green signs with the desired route numbers. Its more important than it sounds.

I disagree about 100km/h. 50km/h is the default limit in a town, borough or city. And there is a lot of road at 60 or 80km/h

N roads that shouldn't be N roads

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