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TheA25 is the name given to the sections of the main route connectingStrangford withCastleblayney that lie in Northern Ireland. It is a road of regional importance, serving much ofsouth Armagh andsouth Down. The road commences in the village ofStrangford, on the shores ofStrangford Lough, from which thePortaferry – Strangford Ferry service transports vehicles toPortaferry on theArds peninsula. The entirety of the route is 61.2 miles, of which 54.5 miles are located north of theborder, forming the A25 – the remaining 6.7 miles form theR182 in the Republic of Ireland.
The route has strategic importance, as it connectsDownpatrick,Newcastle andCastlewellan withNewry, and thus provides a link with Dublin. Between Castlewellan and Newry, the route passes through rural villages such as Kilcoo andRathfriland, which would be considered part of theMourne Country, due to their proximity to the mountains of the same name. BothCastlewellan Forest Park andTollymore Forest Park are located nearby, as is the afore mentioned seaside resort of Newcastle. The route also passes through theLecale district.
The A25 travels through Newry in the Rathfriland Road, Monaghan Street and Camlough Road, passing through the heart of the city, and northwestwards towards the city's railway station (located on theDublin-Belfast mainline). The railway bridge over the A25 is known as the Egyptian Arch and was featured on a Royal Mint coin issued in 2006.[1] The Newry bypass (A1) also bridges above the Camlough Road. The junction between the two routes is currently being upgraded to have motorway characteristics as part of Newry's new bypass scheme (from Cloghoge Roundabout to the Belfast Road).
On the western side of the city, the road becomes the principal transport corridor serving much of south Armagh; running nearBessbrook, throughCamlough,Belleek andNewtownhamilton. This area, like the Mournes, is anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and passes near Camlough Lake.
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54°13′57″N6°05′23″W / 54.2325°N 6.0896°W /54.2325; -6.0896