History (1983-1989)
In 1977, Classification Of Roads As Regional, National Roads And Motorways Began. The First Section Of Motorway In Ireland Opened In 1983, A Short Bypass Of Naas Classified As M7. A Short Time Later, This Was Followed By The M1 Motorway, Which Ran From the R103 To The R104 (Currently M50 J2). 2 Years Later In 1985, This Was Followed By The Airport Motorway.
History (1990-1999)
The 1990s Saw A Major Increase In The Irish Motorway Network. The First Was The M50, Linking The N7, N4 And N3 Together In 1990, Followed A Year Later By The M11 Bray-Shankill Bypass In 1991. 1992 Saw No New Motorway In Ireland But In 1993 A New Section Of M7, From Naas To Newbridge Was Opened, Along With The M9 Kilcullen Bypass, Which Ran Until The Modern-Day M7 Junction 11. The First Section Of M4 Opened In 1994, Between Leixlip And Kilcock. 1995 Saw No New Motorway And In 1996 Only The Northern Section Of The M50 Was Opened, Linking The N2 And M1 Together. The M7 Port Laoise Bypass Opened In 1997 Along With The M1 Dunleer Bypass. The M1 Balbriggan Bypass Opened In 1998 (Modern-Day J5-J6) And No New Motorways Opened In 1999.
History (2000-2009)
The 21st Century Has Saw A Massive Increase In Ireland's Motorway Network, After A Slow Start. 2000 Saw No New Motorway, But In 2001, The Southern Cross Route (M50), And The M1 Dunleer To Dundalk Bypass Opened. 2002 Continued The Slow Start, But 2003 Was A Big Year. The Various Sections Of The M1 Were All Joined Together, Providing A Motorway From Dublin To Dundalk (J18). Also The Section Of M7 Between Port Laoise And Newbridge Was Opened, Providing A Motorway From Port Laoise To Naas.
2005 Saw A Major Advancement In The Network, Starting With The M4 Kilcock-Kinnegad Motorway, Which Had A Toll Applied To It. The M1 Dundalk Bypass Was Also Completed, Which Created A Route From Dublin To Belfast As Far As The Border (N1 From Dundalk-Border). After 15 Years, The M50 Was Finally Expanded To Link To The M11, Providing A Full Bypass Of Dublin On The West. In 2006, The M8 Was Extended From Fermoy To Watergrasshill Motorway Was Opened, Another Route To Have A Toll. A Section Of A Soon To Be M6 Was Also Opened, Between Kinnegad To Tyrrelspass Was Opened. The Road Opened As M6 And Was Re Designated As M6 In 2007. The Road Was Then Also Expanded To Meet The N52 At Tullamore, Also Opened As N6.
2008 Was One Of The Most Important Years In Irish Motorway History. A Large Section Of M8 Was Opened, Stretching From Urlingford To Eastern Mitchelstown. This Made It The Longest Motorway In Ireland. The Motorway Opened In Several Sections, The First Being The Cashel Bypass In 2004, Followed By The Cashel-Mitchelstown Section,Which Were Both Opened As A Dual-Carriageway National Road, Before Redesignation To Motorway In 2008. The Urlingford-Cashel Section Opened As A Motorway Straight Away Later That Year. Also In 2008 The M9 Carlow Bypass Opened As N9 Before Redesignation Came Into Affect. The M6 Was Extended To Athlone, And The Network Was Greatly Expanded.
2009 Also Saw A Major Increase In The Network, Including The Tranche 2 Redesignation Of Roads Took Affect On August 28 2009, Further Expanding The Network. The M9 Was Extended, Providing A Motorway From Dublin To Carlow Directly, Opened December 21 2009.
2005 Saw A Major Advancement In The Network, Starting With The M4 Kilcock-Kinnegad Motorway, Which Had A Toll Applied To It. The M1 Dundalk Bypass Was Also Completed, Which Created A Route From Dublin To Belfast As Far As The Border (N1 From Dundalk-Border). After 15 Years, The M50 Was Finally Expanded To Link To The M11, Providing A Full Bypass Of Dublin On The West. In 2006, The M8 Was Extended From Fermoy To Watergrasshill Motorway Was Opened, Another Route To Have A Toll. A Section Of A Soon To Be M6 Was Also Opened, Between Kinnegad To Tyrrelspass Was Opened. The Road Opened As M6 And Was Re Designated As M6 In 2007. The Road Was Then Also Expanded To Meet The N52 At Tullamore, Also Opened As N6.
2008 Was One Of The Most Important Years In Irish Motorway History. A Large Section Of M8 Was Opened, Stretching From Urlingford To Eastern Mitchelstown. This Made It The Longest Motorway In Ireland. The Motorway Opened In Several Sections, The First Being The Cashel Bypass In 2004, Followed By The Cashel-Mitchelstown Section,Which Were Both Opened As A Dual-Carriageway National Road, Before Redesignation To Motorway In 2008. The Urlingford-Cashel Section Opened As A Motorway Straight Away Later That Year. Also In 2008 The M9 Carlow Bypass Opened As N9 Before Redesignation Came Into Affect. The M6 Was Extended To Athlone, And The Network Was Greatly Expanded.
2009 Also Saw A Major Increase In The Network, Including The Tranche 2 Redesignation Of Roads Took Affect On August 28 2009, Further Expanding The Network. The M9 Was Extended, Providing A Motorway From Dublin To Carlow Directly, Opened December 21 2009.
History (2010-Present)
2010 Opened With A Large Increase Of Motorway, Starting With The M3. The M3 Was Opened On June 4 2010, At 61 km Long. It Ran From Dublin To Kells. The Shanon Tunnel Section Of M7 Opened On 27 July. The M11 Wicklow-Newcastle Motorway Opened In 2015, A Major Upgrade As The Road Was Single Carriageway Prior To This. The Atlantic Coridoor Is A Road Project To Link Waterford To Letterkenny With A Series Of Either Motorway Or High Quality Dual Carriageway. The Final Components Of M18 And The New M17 Are Scheduled To Open Late 2018. In 2019, TII Will Finish The 27km Long Enniscorthy Bypass Designated As M11, With A Series Of Link Roads, And A Bypass Of New Ross (N25). Recently, It Was Announced That After A Long Period Of Time That The M20 Would Proceed As A Motorway, Linking Cork To Limerick. This Is A Big Part Of The Atlantic Corridor, And With The M18 And M17, Will Provide A Continuous Motorway Between Cork And Tuam.