M22 Motorway (Northern Ireland) on:
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The M22 is a
/ref> Part of this was an M22 motorway from the M2 near Antrim to Castledawson,
/ref> *Junction 1 to 2 opened in 1971; and *Junction 2 to 3 opened in 1973. As of May 2019, the A6 from the western end of the M22 to Castledawson is under construction as a dual carriageway.Department for Infrastructure – A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Scheme
/ref>
Roads.org.uk Motorway Database – M22 (Northern Ireland)
{{DEFAULTSORT:2-0022 Motorways in Northern Ireland Roads in County Antrim
The M22 is a motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
in County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. It is 5.6 miles (9 km) long and connects the A6 with the M2. It forms part of the unsigned European route E16
European route E16 is the designation of a main west–east road through Northern Ireland, Scotland, Norway and Sweden, from Derry to Gävle, via Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, previously by ferry to Bergen, Voss, through the Gudvanga Tunnel and ...
.
History
In 1964, the Northern Ireland Government announced plans for an extensive network of motorways.Northern Ireland Roads Site – History of Motorway Plans/ref> Part of this was an M22 motorway from the M2 near Antrim to Castledawson,
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
. With the increase in civil disorder, known as the Troubles, and the introduction of direct rule
In political science, direct rule is when an imperial or central power takes direct control over the legislature, executive and civil administration of an otherwise largely self-governing territory.
Examples Chechnya
In 1991, Chechen separat ...
, the motorway programme was nearly all cancelled and the M22 was left as it currently stood in 1975.
It was opened in two sections:Roads.org.uk Motorway Database – M22 (Northern Ireland)/ref> *Junction 1 to 2 opened in 1971; and *Junction 2 to 3 opened in 1973. As of May 2019, the A6 from the western end of the M22 to Castledawson is under construction as a dual carriageway.
/ref>
Route
The motorway starts shortly after junction 7 of the M2 Northwards at the split in the carriageways on the M2 around 1 mile from junction 1 of the M22, where the M2 was to head north towardsBallymena
Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...
. After meeting junction 1 – the site of the Junction One retail outlet – it continues west across Ferguson's Water, the Belfast-Derry railway line and Mill Burn as it bypasses the suburbs
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of Antrim to the north. Between junctions 2 and 3 it passes between Randalstown
Randalstown () is a small town and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, between Antrim and Toome. The town, which contains a prominent disused railway viaduct, lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate. Randalstown is bypas ...
and the Randalstown forest, crosses the River Main
The Main () is the longest tributary of the Rhine, one of the major European rivers. It rises as the White Main in the Fichtel Mountains of northeastern Bavaria and flows west through central Germany for to meet the Rhine below Rüsselsheim, ...
, and then ends at junction 3. The M22 is a two-lane dual carriageway throughout its length.
Junctions
See also
*Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from ...
*List of motorways in the United Kingdom
This list of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list of motorways in the United Kingdom. Note that the Great Britain road numbering scheme, numbering scheme used for Great Britain does not include roads in Northern Ireland, which are ...
References
External links
Roads.org.uk Motorway Database – M22 (Northern Ireland)
{{DEFAULTSORT:2-0022 Motorways in Northern Ireland Roads in County Antrim