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|---|---|
| Bóthar N6 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 147.99 km (91.96 mi) |
| Location | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Primary destinations | (bypassed routes initalics) |
| Highway system | |
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TheN6 road is anational primary road inIreland from junction 11 on theM4 motorway atKinnegad toGalway city. The N6 and N4 form a continuous motorway ordual carriageway from Dublin city centre to Galway City, passing in an east–west direction through the midlands of Ireland. Most of the road is motorway standard (designated asM6 motorway) with the exception of the Athlone bypass and stretches of urban road in Galway City, which are the only sections of the road that remain designated as N6 dual carriageway. There is one toll on the road outside Galway city. Major upgrades to the road were completed in December 2009, completing the first intercity motorway/dual carriageway in Ireland and the New Junctions of M6 are built and will be 164 km.[clarification needed]
Prior to the 2005–2009 construction of the road currently designated as the N6, the designation applied to the older, parallel Dublin–Galway route which went directly through most of the now bypassed towns fromKinnegad to Galway. That route is now mostly designated asR446, except the Athlone bypass which forms part of the new N6, a small section near Athlone now part of theN62 and a small section near Loughrea now part of theN65.
The N6 route commences directly south ofKinnegad in County Meath as the M6 motorway. The road runs west intoCounty Westmeath and bypassesRochfordbridge, with theN52 joining the M6 east ofTyrrellspass. The N6 continues west, with the N52 leaving the route south ofKilbeggan. The route leaves Westmeath after bypassingHorseleap, continues west intoCounty Offaly, and re-enters Westmeath bypassingMoate.
The route bypassesFardrum (where theN62 begins, leaving the N6 to the south) heading west towardsAthlone. The route follows a dual carriageway bypass of Athlone around the northern side of the town, crossing theRiver Shannon intoCounty Roscommon. This part of the route is non-motorway standard. Along the dual carriageway there are local access junctions, as well as junctions for theN55 andN61.
After the Athlone bypass, the route continues as the M6, and motorway restrictions again apply. The route bypassesBallinasloe overRiver Suck intoCounty Galway. The N6 bypasses west throughAughrim andKilreekil. Further west atKilmeen, theN65 commences, leaving the M6 to the south.Loughrea is bypassed to the north by a route opened in November 2005. TheRiver Dunkellin is crossed by the M6 atCraughwell as it continues west towardsGalway. Outside the city itself,Oranmore is bypassed to the west and north, where theM18 crosses the M6. This dual carriageway bypass brings the route into Galway itself, where it meets theN83 alongBóthar na dTreabh. The Headford Road, Quincentenary Bridge across theRiver Corrib and Quincentenary Bridge Approach Road bring the N6 through Galway itself to meet theN59 on the western side of the city.
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The M6 junction numbers below are used on the entire length of the road. The Athlone bypass had a separate numbering scheme (J1–J6) but was renumbered to its current form (J8–J13) following the upgrade of the bypass in 2011.
Junctions 1–8 and 14–18 form part of theM6 motorway.
| County | km | mi | Junction | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Westmeath | 8 |  N62 ‒Athlone (East),Birr | Continues as M6 motorway. | |||
| 9 |  R916 – Blyry Industrial Estate N55 ‒Cavan,Longford | |||||
| 10 | N55 ‒ Cavan, Longford, Athlone | |||||
| 11 |  L4023 ‒ Athlone,Coosan | Tullamore (N52) | ||||
| County Roscommon | 12 |  N61 ‒Sligo,Roscommon | LILO junction. | |||
| 13 |  R362 ‒ Athlone (West),Monksland,Athleague,Tuam | LILO junction. Continues as M6 motorway. | ||||
| J14-18 part of M6 motorway. | ||||||
| County Galway | 19 |  R381 ‒Claregalway,Oranmore | Continues as M6 motorway. | |||
| 20 |  N67 ‒Ennistimon, Galway (East) | Galway Docks Motorway terminates at roundabout. Continues as N6 dual carriageway (Bóthar na dTreabh). | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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