N4 road (Ireland): Difference between revisions
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The road is a [[dual carriageway]] from [[Heuston Station]], Dublin to [[Mullingar]] (including the motorway section). This section of road intersects with the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50 motorway]] at Junction 7. The [[Liffey Valley Shopping Centre]] is located at this junction. It has three lanes and a bus lane in each direction between the M50 and east of Lucan. The [[speed limit]] was initially 40mph (60 [[km/h]] from January 2005) after its upgrade in 1999, despite the quality of the road. In June [[2005]], the speed limit was increased to 80 km/h. The N4 is the only one of the main inter-urban national routes whose dual carriageway section runs right into the city centre. For this reason, the start point of the [[N7 road|N7]] was changed to its junction with the M50 in 1994, with N7 traffic encouraged to use the M50 and N4 between the city centre and Red Cow rather than its original route through [[Inchicore]]. |
The road is a [[dual carriageway]] from [[Heuston Station]], Dublin to [[Mullingar]] (including the motorway section). This section of road intersects with the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50 motorway]] at Junction 7. The [[Liffey Valley Shopping Centre]] is located at this junction. It has three lanes and a bus lane in each direction between the M50 and east of Lucan. The [[speed limit]] was initially 40mph (60 [[km/h]] from January 2005) after its upgrade in 1999, despite the quality of the road. In June [[2005]], the speed limit was increased to 80 km/h. The N4 is the only one of the main inter-urban national routes whose dual carriageway section runs right into the city centre. For this reason, the start point of the [[N7 road|N7]] was changed to its junction with the M50 in 1994, with N7 traffic encouraged to use the M50 and N4 between the city centre and Red Cow rather than its original route through [[Inchicore]]. |
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After the motorway section (see below) ends west of Kinnegad, a dual carriageway connects the M4 with the Mullingar bypass. A 5 km stretch of his section has median crossings, at grade junctions, and no hard shoulder. The Mullingar bypass is grade separated and to near-motorway standard. The road becomes |
After the motorway section (see below) ends west of Kinnegad, a dual carriageway connects the M4 with the Mullingar bypass. A 5 km stretch of his section has median crossings, at grade junctions, and no hard shoulder. The Mullingar bypass is grade separated and to near-motorway standard. Dromod and Rooskey were bypassed in late 2007. This section of road consists of 3 roundabouts and Type 2 Dual Carriageway, ie: 2 lanes in each direction and no hard shoulder. The road becomes near-motorway standard dual carriageway again at Collooney, approaching [[Sligo town]]. |
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==M4 Motorway== |
==M4 Motorway== |
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Revision as of 22:32, 3 February 2008
N4 
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| Destinations (E to W) | |
| On route / bypassed / bypassed by M4 | |
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* 2+2 bypass completed November 2007. † Inner relief road ‡ Roosky itself is in County Roscommon. | |
The N4 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, running from Dublin to the northwest of Ireland and Sligo Town. The N6 road to Galway diverges from this route after Kinnegad, while the N5 road to Castlebar and Westport diverges at Longford town. The section of the N4 that is motorway standard is designated the M4 motorway.
Road Standard
The road is a dual carriageway from Heuston Station, Dublin to Mullingar (including the motorway section). This section of road intersects with the M50 motorway at Junction 7. The Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is located at this junction. It has three lanes and a bus lane in each direction between the M50 and east of Lucan. The speed limit was initially 40mph (60 km/h from January 2005) after its upgrade in 1999, despite the quality of the road. In June 2005, the speed limit was increased to 80 km/h. The N4 is the only one of the main inter-urban national routes whose dual carriageway section runs right into the city centre. For this reason, the start point of the N7 was changed to its junction with the M50 in 1994, with N7 traffic encouraged to use the M50 and N4 between the city centre and Red Cow rather than its original route through Inchicore.
After the motorway section (see below) ends west of Kinnegad, a dual carriageway connects the M4 with the Mullingar bypass. A 5 km stretch of his section has median crossings, at grade junctions, and no hard shoulder. The Mullingar bypass is grade separated and to near-motorway standard. Dromod and Rooskey were bypassed in late 2007. This section of road consists of 3 roundabouts and Type 2 Dual Carriageway, ie: 2 lanes in each direction and no hard shoulder. The road becomes near-motorway standard dual carriageway again at Collooney, approaching Sligo town.
M4 Motorway
The section from west of Lucan to west of Kinnegad is the M4 motorway. The second section of the M4 (Kilcock - Kinnegad)opened on 12 December 2005. A toll of €2.70 for cars is charged at a toll plaza near Enfield (thus is it possible to drive on parts of the M4 without having to pay a toll). Eurolink operate this toll scheme, the first in Ireland not operated by NTR plc. From 2005 to 2007, NTR plc and Eurolink were in dispute over Eurolink's failure to accept NTR's EazyPass electronic toll system on the M4. This was resolved with the establishment of an electronic toll clearing system, eToll, on 14 June 2007 [1], meaning that each toll company's electronic tag will work on all toll roads in the State.
In the July 1st 2006 edition of the Meath Chronicle it was claimed that up to 10% of the €420 million road project had "to be ripped up and replaced" shortly after it opened due to rushed construction.
The bypassed former N4 road, has been reclassified as the R148.
Motorway Route
(Note: Junction numbers are being reassigned). Currently, Junction 2a is the only motorway junction number in the Republic of Ireland to have a letter, as it was constructed later between the present junctions 2 and 3. The Mullingar bypass also has separate set of junction numbers beginning with J9.
| M4 Motorway | ||
| Westbound | Junction | Eastbound |
| Start of motorway | 2 | Leixlip, Celbridge R148 |
| Leixlip West, Celbridge West R449 | 2a (new signs read 6) | Leixlip West, Celbridge West R449 |
| Maynooth, Clane, Naas | 3 | Maynooth, Naas |
| Kilcock, Clane R407 | 8 | Kilcock, Clane R407 |
| Toll plaza | ||
| Enfield, Edenderry R402 | 9 | Enfield, Edenderry R402 |
| Kinnegad R401 | 10 | Kinnegad R401 |
| Galway, Athlone N6 | 11 | No exit - traffic joins from M6 |
| Kinnegad | 12 | Start of motorway regulations |
Future upgrades
Work has begun on upgrading the N4/M50 interchange to a freeflowing fully grade separated junction. For more details, see the M50 motorway article. Upgrading the section connecting the M4 to the M50 to high-grade dual carriageway began in late 2007.
Planned improvements to the route
- M4 to M50; 6 km semi-motorway; under construction [1]
- N4 at The Downs, east of Mullingar; 5 km semi-motorway; at constraints study stage, existing road is low quality dual carriageway [2]
- Mullingar bypass to Longford; 40 km semi-motorway; at constraints study stage [3]
- Dromod to Carrick on Shannon; 11 km; at feasibility study stage [4]
- Carrick on Shannon Bypass; 10 km; preliminary design stage [5]
- Cortober to Castlebaldwin; 28 km retro upgrade of standard single carriageway road to 2+1 road; at constraints study stage [6]
- Collooney to Castlebaldwin; 15 km greenfield 2+2 road; at preliminary design stage [7]
- Sligo Western Relief Road; 8km; at feasibility study stage [8]