A4 road (Northern Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The A4 is a major road in Northern Ireland
. It travels through County Armagh
, County Tyrone
and County Fermanagh
and continues to Sligo
in the Republic of Ireland
as the N16.
The route branches off from the A3
in Portadown
, and from the start of the route to its junction with the M1
, and from its point of resumption to the border with the Republic of Ireland near Belcoo
, it is a primary route. At present, it is mainly single carriageway, apart from a short section around Dungannon
, which is dual carriageway.
. Continuing along Corcrain Road and Charles Street in the Portadown suburbs, it meets a roundabout with the B28 road to Moy
(taking the turn-off to your right at this roundabout will bring you down the Garvaghy Road). The A4 continues as a short stretch, called the Dungannon Road, to Junction 12 of the M1.
The A4 resumes at the end of the M1. Until 1980, all traffic following the A4 had to leave the M1 at its final junction and travel through Dungannon town centre to rejoin the A4, but a by-pass opened that year continued the A4 route ahead past the final junction of the M1, including a short stretch of dual-carriageway which had been built at the same time as the M1. The A4 then continues, passing through the townlands of Granville, Cabragh and Ballyreagh before reaching a roundabout with the A5 outside the village of Ballygawley.
For a very short distance, the A4 and A5 multiplex, and the A4 continues ahead through the Clogher Valley, passing through the villages of Augher
, Clogher
and Fivemiletown
. The road crosses the county border into County Fermanagh, and skirts past the villages of Brookeborough
, Maguiresbridge
, Lisbellaw and Tamlaght on its approach to Enniskillen
. It is believed that these villages were by-passed in the 1960s.
In and around Enniskillen, A4 traffic multiplexes with traffic coming from the A32 route from Omagh
, as well as traffic using the A46/A509/N3 corridor, as it traverses through the town and its suburbs. Past Enniskillen, the A4 passes through the villages of Letterbreen
and Belcoo
, where it then reaches the border with the Republic of Ireland (at a bridge over Lough Macnean) and continues westward toward Sligo as the N16.
In wider sections of the road, the hard shoulder has been converted for use as a "slow lane" for a short distance for westbound traffic in two places; between Dungannon and Ballygawley at the Cappagh crossroads, and between Fivemiletown and Brookeborough.
plans a series of future road schemes for the A4:
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It travels through County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
and County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
and continues to Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
as the N16.
The route branches off from the A3
A3 road (Northern Ireland)
The A3 is a major road in Northern Ireland. It travels through County Antrim, County Down, County Armagh and parts of southern County Fermanagh....
in Portadown
Portadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
, and from the start of the route to its junction with the M1
M1 motorway (Northern Ireland)
The M1 is a motorway in Northern Ireland. It is the longest motorway in Northern Ireland and runs for from Belfast to Dungannon through County Down and County Armagh...
, and from its point of resumption to the border with the Republic of Ireland near Belcoo
Belcoo
Belcoo is a small village and townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 10 miles from Enniskillen. It is on the County Fermanagh/County Cavan border beside the village of Blacklion in the Republic of Ireland...
, it is a primary route. At present, it is mainly single carriageway, apart from a short section around Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, which is dual carriageway.
Route
The A4 begins near Portadown town centre at a junction with the A3 Northway and the B77 towards LoughgallLoughgall
Loughgall is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 285 people.Loughgall was named after a small nearby loch. The village is at the heart of the apple-growing industry and is surrounded by orchards. Along the village's main street...
. Continuing along Corcrain Road and Charles Street in the Portadown suburbs, it meets a roundabout with the B28 road to Moy
Moy, County Tyrone
Moy or The Moy is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 1,218.It is about southeast of Dungannon and is beside the smaller village of Charlemont. Charlemont is on the east bank of the River Blackwater and Moy on the west; the two are...
(taking the turn-off to your right at this roundabout will bring you down the Garvaghy Road). The A4 continues as a short stretch, called the Dungannon Road, to Junction 12 of the M1.
The A4 resumes at the end of the M1. Until 1980, all traffic following the A4 had to leave the M1 at its final junction and travel through Dungannon town centre to rejoin the A4, but a by-pass opened that year continued the A4 route ahead past the final junction of the M1, including a short stretch of dual-carriageway which had been built at the same time as the M1. The A4 then continues, passing through the townlands of Granville, Cabragh and Ballyreagh before reaching a roundabout with the A5 outside the village of Ballygawley.
For a very short distance, the A4 and A5 multiplex, and the A4 continues ahead through the Clogher Valley, passing through the villages of Augher
Augher
Augher is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 18 miles southwest of Dungannon, on the A4 Dungannon to Enniskillen road, halfway between Ballygawley and Clogher. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 399....
, Clogher
Clogher
Clogher is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, south of Omagh. The United Kingdom Census of 2001 recorded a population of 309.-History:...
and Fivemiletown
Fivemiletown
Fivemiletown is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 16 miles east of Enniskillen and 26 miles west-south-west of Dungannon, on the A4 Enniskillen-to-Dungannon road. Its population as of 2009 is estimated to be 1,128. The village is most famous for its creamery, which...
. The road crosses the county border into County Fermanagh, and skirts past the villages of Brookeborough
Brookeborough
Brookeborough is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 trunk road, about five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
, Maguiresbridge
Maguiresbridge
Maguiresbridge is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The village is named after the bridge over the Colebrooke River, first built by the local Maguire family about 1760. The village is 8 miles from Enniskillen and 3 miles from Lisnaskea....
, Lisbellaw and Tamlaght on its approach to Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
. It is believed that these villages were by-passed in the 1960s.
In and around Enniskillen, A4 traffic multiplexes with traffic coming from the A32 route from Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
, as well as traffic using the A46/A509/N3 corridor, as it traverses through the town and its suburbs. Past Enniskillen, the A4 passes through the villages of Letterbreen
Letterbreen
Letterbreen is a hamlet in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is 5 miles southwest of Enniskillen on the main route to Sligo. It lies in the foothills of Belmore Mountain....
and Belcoo
Belcoo
Belcoo is a small village and townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 10 miles from Enniskillen. It is on the County Fermanagh/County Cavan border beside the village of Blacklion in the Republic of Ireland...
, where it then reaches the border with the Republic of Ireland (at a bridge over Lough Macnean) and continues westward toward Sligo as the N16.
In wider sections of the road, the hard shoulder has been converted for use as a "slow lane" for a short distance for westbound traffic in two places; between Dungannon and Ballygawley at the Cappagh crossroads, and between Fivemiletown and Brookeborough.
Road quality
The road is generally of good quality, with a number of planned improvements including dualling of the Dungannon to Ballygawley section and a bypass of the Clogher Valley. The construction of climber lanes on the Dungannon to Ballygawley in the late 1990s reduced the number of accidents on what had been a very dangerous stretch of road.Planned developments
The Department for Regional DevelopmentDepartment for Regional Development
The Department for Regional Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
plans a series of future road schemes for the A4:
- The route from Dungannon to Ballygawley (approximately 12½ miles/20 km) was upgraded to a dual carriageway standard, with the new road opened in November 2010. The scheme includes a central reservation safety barrier, a hard shoulder and six grade separated junctions. The estimated cost of the scheme as reported in 2006 was £102 million.
- A section of the route between Ballygawley and Augher will be realigned. Clearance work in preparation for the realignment occurred in November and December 2007, with construction believed to commence in 2008.
- Other schemes prospectively planned include by-passes of Fivemiletown and the southern end of Enniskillen, and the installation of "2+1" route between Ballygawley and Enniskillen.
Tourist attractions
There are a number of tourist attractions on or close to the A4. These include:- The Linen Green, DungannonDungannonDungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
- Clogher Valley
- Marble Arch CavesMarble Arch CavesThe Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves located near the village of Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. They are formed by water draining off the northern slopes of Cuilcagh mountain.- History of exploration :...