View source for N2 road (Ireland)

{{Short description|National primary road in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2019}}
{{infobox road
|country=IRL
|type = N
|route = 2
|length_km = 133.01
|destinations = (bypassed routes in ''italics'')
* '''[[Fingal]]'''
** ''[[St. Margaret's, County Dublin|St Margaret's]]''
** [[Ward, Castleknock]]
* '''[[County Meath]]'''
** ''[[Ashbourne, County Meath|Ashbourne]]''
** Kilmoon Cross
** Rathfeigh Cross
** Balrath Cross
** [[Slane]]
* '''[[County Louth]]'''
** [[Collon]]
** [[Ardee]]
* '''[[County Monaghan]]'''
** ''[[Carrickmacross]]''
** ''[[Castleblayney]]''
** ''[[Monaghan]]''
** [[Emyvale]]
}}

The '''N2 road''' is a [[national primary road]] in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], running from [[Dublin]] to [[Irish border|the border]] with [[Northern Ireland]] at ''Moy Bridge'' near [[Aughnacloy, County Tyrone|Aughnacloy]], [[County Tyrone]] to connect Dublin with [[Derry]] and [[Letterkenny]] via the [[A5 road (Northern Ireland)|A5]]. A section of the route near Dublin forms the '''M2 motorway'''.
{{clear|left}}

== Route ==
The N2 commences at junction 5 of the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50 motorway]]. It then runs as a dual-carriageway for 17&nbsp;km (10.5 miles) from the M50 to north of [[Ashbourne, County Meath]]. This project was opened on 25 May 2006, and includes 3.5&nbsp;km (2.2 miles) of three lane dual carriageway built to [[motorway]] standard. The route is the first to have a 120&nbsp;km/h (75&nbsp;mph) [[Speed limits in Ireland#Special speed limits|special speed limit]]. According to the project engineers, the [[National Roads Authority]] decided due to the lack of available space at the M50 junction to accommodate a parallel joining non-motorway route that they would designate the new road as high-quality dual carriageway and block off the existing road from the M50. 13&nbsp;km (8.1 miles) of this dual carriageway stretch became motorway on 28 August 2009.
[[File:N2 from overbridge at J2.jpg|thumb|left|N2 looking south from overbridge at Junction 2.]]

The route continues through Balrath towards [[Slane]], where a dangerous bridge brings the road through the town by the historic Hill of Slane, now home to the occasional rock festival. The N2 continues through [[Collon]] in [[County Louth]]. Just after [[Ardee]], the N2 meets the [[N33 road (Ireland)|N33]], coming from the nearby [[M1 motorway (Republic of Ireland)|M1 motorway]], which most traffic coming from Dublin uses for N2 destinations north of Ardee. At Ardee, the N2 also meets the [[N52 road (Ireland)|N52]], a cross-country route from [[Nenagh]], [[County Tipperary]]  to [[Dundalk]]. In [[County Monaghan]], the N2 bypasses [[Carrickmacross]] to the east, along a bypass opened on 31 January 2005. This 9&nbsp;km wide single carriageway has been named ''The Kavanagh Way'', after Monaghan writer and poet [[Patrick Kavanagh]]. The route by-passes [[Castleblayney]] and [[Clontibret]] on the way to [[Monaghan]]. North of Monaghan town, the [[N12 road (Ireland)|N12]] diverges east to the border. The N2 continues north through [[Emyvale]] to reach the border at ''Moy Bridge'' directly south of [[Aughnacloy, County Tyrone|Aughnacloy]], [[County Tyrone]]. From here, the road becomes the [[A5 road (Northern Ireland)|A5 road]] to [[Omagh]], [[Letterkenny]] and [[Derry]].

== Upgrades ==
Projects completed on the N2 include a 16&nbsp;km (10 miles) [[2+1 road|2+1]] bypass of Castleblayney, which opened on 5 November 2007 .<ref>{{cite web | title = New N2 Castleblayney Bypass Opened | publisher = [[National Development Plan]] | date = 2007-11-05 | url = http://www.ndp.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=1997 | access-date = 2009-03-31 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120722022957/http://per.gov.ie/comprehensive-review-of-expenditure/?DocID=1997 | archive-date = 22 July 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref> A 3&nbsp;km (1.9 miles) single carriageway bypass of Monaghan town to the east was opened on 25 September 2006 by Pat Gallagher, Junior Minister For Transport.

Previous planned projects along the N2 included a 4&nbsp;km (2.5 miles) bypass of Ardee and a 6&nbsp;km (3.7 miles) bypass of Slane. These projects have now been incorporated into a single project which extends from the end of the Ashbourne Bypass to north of Ardee (N2 Ashbourne to Ardee).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/MeathCountyCouncil/N2AshbournetoArdee/SchemeName,16476,en.html |title=N2 Ashbourne to Ardee - National Roads Authority |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918134912/http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/MeathCountyCouncil/N2AshbournetoArdee/SchemeName,16476,en.html |archive-date=18 September 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The feasibility report for this scheme recommends a dual carriageway cross section. That section of the N2 from the end of the Castleblayney Bypass to the NI Border at Aughnacloy is also being studied (N2 Clontibret to NI Border).

== Discussion ==
Because the N2 contains narrow and steep-gradient sections in the environs of Slane, Collon and south of Ardee, [[Transport Infrastructure Ireland]] (TII) recommends that hauliers heading from Dublin to Derry should instead use the M1 motorway from Dublin as far as its junction with the N33 road, then follow N33 to its junction with N2, north of Ardee.

There have been calls (by political parties in both the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Northern Ireland]]) to upgrade the whole Dublin-Derry route to [[dual carriageway]]. This would entail upgrading both the N2 and also the [[A5 road (Northern Ireland)|A5]] in [[Northern Ireland]].

A 2007 [[Fianna Fáil]] election policy document on transport included a plan for a dual carriageway from Dublin to Letterkenny and Derry as one of Fianna Fáil's promises if re-elected. Although the N2 was not included in Transport 21, and the Monaghan and Carrickmacross by-passes are single lane national primary roads, a feasibility report completed on the N2 Ashbourne to Ardee section recommended a dual carriageway cross section (including the Slane By-pass).{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} Also, in order to tie in with the A5 Western Transport Corridor north of the border, work on the feasibility study for the N2 Clontibret to NI Border Scheme was commenced {{citation needed|date=April 2022}}{{when|date=April 2022}}. As of 2024, this route has a defined corridor, and is progressing to the design phase. An upgrade of the section from Ardee to Castleblaney to dual carriageway has reached final design, but is suspended due to lack of funding.

In October 2006, the [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] government announced it was funding infrastructure to the value of €1 billion within Northern Ireland where such projects improved connectivity between parts of the Republic. One of the proposed projects to be funded was the upgrading of the [[A5 road (Northern Ireland)|A5]] Derry–[[Omagh]]–[[Aughnacloy, County Tyrone|Aughnacloy]] road to dual carriageway for a distance of {{convert|88|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news | title = Article in The Times | publisher = [[The Times Online]] | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2765-2415815_1,00.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130505155705/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2765-2415815_1,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2013-05-05 | location=London | first=Philip | last=Webster}}</ref> The Irish [[Department of Finance (Ireland)|Department of Finance]] website confirmed on 22 March 2007 that £400 million had been set aside for Northern investment to include a dual carriageway to Derry and Donegal, although the A5 project itself was beset by delays and as of 2024 has still not commenced.

== M2 motorway ==
{{infobox road
|country=IRL
|type=M
|route=2
|length_km= 13
|terminus_a=[[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50]] Junction 5
|destinations = [[Ashbourne, County Meath|Ashbourne]]
|terminus_b=Rath (north of Ashbourne)
|map={{IRL motorway map for Dublin|M2}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes={{clickable}}
|established= 2004
|history =Completed in 2006
}}

[[File:M2 Ireland RCS Sign.jpg|thumb|left|Start of the motorway north of [[Ashbourne, County Meath|Ashbourne]]]]

On 30 September 2008, it was announced that a 13&nbsp;km (8.1 miles) section of the current N2 from Killshane to Ashbourne was under consideration for re-designation to motorway standard. Public consultation finished in December 2008.<ref name=deptransport-public-consultation>{{cite web | title = Proposed Motorway Declarations of the Killshane to Ashbourne Section of the N2 (Dublin – Derry) | publisher = [[Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport|Department of Transport]] | date = September 2009 | url = http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10978-4.pdf | page = 3 | access-date = 2009-03-31 | archive-date = 12 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120212215015/http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10978-4.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>

On 14 July 2009, it was announced that the 13&nbsp;km (8.1 miles) stretch had received ministerial approval to be re-designated.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0714/1224250638091.html | newspaper=The Irish Times | title=300Km Of Roads To Be Assigned As Motorways | date=7 July 2009 | access-date=16 July 2009 | archive-date=4 June 2012 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120604053203/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0714/1224250638091.html | url-status=live }}</ref> It became a motorway on 28 August 2009.

== Junctions == 
{{Kmposts}}

{| class="plainrowheaders wikitable"
|-
!scope=col|County
!scope-col|km
!scope-col|mi
!scope=col|Junction
!scope=col|Destinations
!scope=col|Notes
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[County Dublin]]
|
|
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|1
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|{{jct|country=IRL|M|50}}&nbsp;– [[Dublin Airport]], [[Dublin Port]], [[Dún Laoghaire]]
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|Continues as [[R135 road (Ireland)|R135]] towards [[Dublin|Dublin city centre]] and [[Finglas]].
|-
|
|
|bgcolor="ffdddd"|
|bgcolor="ffdddd"|Coldwinters
|bgcolor="ffdddd"|Northbound exit and southbound entrance only.
|-
|
|
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|2
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|{{jct|country=IRL|R|135}}&nbsp;– [[St. Margaret's, County Dublin|St. Margaret's]], [[Blanchardstown]]
|bgcolor="dff9f9"|Continues as M2 motorway.
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[County Meath]]
|
|
|3
|{{jct|country=IRL|R|135}}&nbsp;– [[Ashbourne, County Meath|Ashbourne]], [[Ratoath]], [[Swords, County Dublin|Swords]]
|Signposted as Ashbourne (South) heading northbound.
|-
|
|
|4
|{{jct|country=IRL|R|135}}&nbsp;– Ashbourne
|Motorway terminates at roundabout. Junction number not signposted.<br />Continues as N2 national road.
{{jctbtm|exit|keys=incomplete,trans}}

== See also ==
* [[Roads in Ireland]]
* [[Motorways in Ireland]]
* [[National secondary road]]
* [[Regional road (Ireland)|Regional road]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7616-0.pdf Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217221416/http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7616-0.pdf |date=17 December 2008 }} – [[Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport|Department of Transport]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050826040824/http://www.n2finglasashbourne.ie/ Official site of the N2 Ashbourne Bypass/M50 Junction project]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061205013200/http://nra.ie/ National Roads Authority] (details of projects completed, under construction, and planned on the N2, and other routes)

{{Roads in Ireland}}

[[Category:National primary roads in the Republic of Ireland|02]]
[[Category:Roads in Fingal]]
[[Category:Roads in County Meath]]
[[Category:Roads in County Louth]]
[[Category:Roads in County Monaghan]]