R148 road
Encyclopedia
The R148 road is one of Ireland's
regional road
s which was classified following the opening of a by-passed national primary road
.
The section of the old N4 which has been by-passed by the M4 motorway was reclassified R148. The R148 runs from Dublin to Kinnegad
in County Westmeath
.
The road is 45 km (28 mi) long. It is generally of a very high standard for a regional road, with wide lanes, hard shoulders, and turning bays. It is still heavily used by traffic avoiding the tolled M4 between Kilcock
and Kinnegad.
The road was previously categorised as a National Primary route
until the opening of the M4 motorway and therefore carried a speed limit of 100 km/h. The speed limit has now been reduced to 80 km/h.
The fact that speed limits have reduced, even though traffic is lighter than before, has led some to claim that the limit reduction is simply a cynical attempt to force motorists to use the tolled M4. This argument is perhaps strengthened by the fact that the R148 is due to receive a large share of the speed cameras due to be rolled out across Irish roads in 2008.. However, under the Road Traffic Act 2004,, the default speed limit on Irish regional roads is 80 km/h and the limit reduction occurred on all bypassed national roads which had been reclassified as regional roads, not just the R148. A section of the road (between Kilcock
and Enfield
had for safety reasons already been subject to a special speed limit of 50 mph/80 km/h for some years prior to M4's opening in any case.
File:R148road4458.jpg|thumb|380px|left|R148 east of Kinnegad
poly 186 234 180 338 456 342 458 290 550 282 550 236 Enfield
poly 186 374 180 480 490 480 492 430 538 430 540 368 Clonard
at the same grade separated interchange at which the M4 begins. Less than 1 km west it crosses the River Liffey
into Leixlip
in County Kildare
.
It then passes through Leixlip, Maynooth
, Kilcock
, Enfield
and Clonard
before rejoining the N4 west of Kinnegad.
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,...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s which was classified following the opening of a by-passed national primary road
National primary road
A national primary road is a road classification in the Republic of Ireland. National primary roads form the major routes between the major urban centres. There are over 2,700km of national primary roads. This category of road has the prefix "N" followed by one or two digits...
.
The section of the old N4 which has been by-passed by the M4 motorway was reclassified R148. The R148 runs from Dublin to Kinnegad
Kinnegad
Kinnegad or Kinagad is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is near the border with County Meath, at the junction of the N6 and the N4 - two of Ireland's main east-west roads...
in County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
.
The road is 45 km (28 mi) long. It is generally of a very high standard for a regional road, with wide lanes, hard shoulders, and turning bays. It is still heavily used by traffic avoiding the tolled M4 between Kilcock
Kilcock
Kilcock or Killcock is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Kilcock is a dormitory town for many of those who work in Dublin...
and Kinnegad.
The road was previously categorised as a National Primary route
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 trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
until the opening of the M4 motorway and therefore carried a speed limit of 100 km/h. The speed limit has now been reduced to 80 km/h.
The fact that speed limits have reduced, even though traffic is lighter than before, has led some to claim that the limit reduction is simply a cynical attempt to force motorists to use the tolled M4. This argument is perhaps strengthened by the fact that the R148 is due to receive a large share of the speed cameras due to be rolled out across Irish roads in 2008.. However, under the Road Traffic Act 2004,, the default speed limit on Irish regional roads is 80 km/h and the limit reduction occurred on all bypassed national roads which had been reclassified as regional roads, not just the R148. A section of the road (between Kilcock
Kilcock
Kilcock or Killcock is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Kilcock is a dormitory town for many of those who work in Dublin...
and Enfield
Enfield, County Meath
Enfield or Innfield is a town in south County Meath, Ireland, situated between Kilcock and Kinnegad and very close to the border with County Kildare...
had for safety reasons already been subject to a special speed limit of 50 mph/80 km/h for some years prior to M4's opening in any case.
Kinnegad
Kinnegad or Kinagad is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is near the border with County Meath, at the junction of the N6 and the N4 - two of Ireland's main east-west roads...
poly 186 234 180 338 456 342 458 290 550 282 550 236 Enfield
Enfield, County Meath
Enfield or Innfield is a town in south County Meath, Ireland, situated between Kilcock and Kinnegad and very close to the border with County Kildare...
poly 186 374 180 480 490 480 492 430 538 430 540 368 Clonard
Clonard, County Meath
Clonard is a small village in County Meath, Ireland. It lies on the R148 regional road between the towns of Kinnegad and Enfield. This road was the main road between Dublin and Galway until the construction of the M4 motorway - it is still used by traffic avoiding the toll on the M4.It is notable...
Route
The route starts (east-west) in Lucan, County DublinCounty Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
at the same grade separated interchange at which the M4 begins. Less than 1 km west it crosses the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
into Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
It then passes through Leixlip, Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, Kilcock
Kilcock
Kilcock or Killcock is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Kilcock is a dormitory town for many of those who work in Dublin...
, Enfield
Enfield, County Meath
Enfield or Innfield is a town in south County Meath, Ireland, situated between Kilcock and Kinnegad and very close to the border with County Kildare...
and Clonard
Clonard, County Meath
Clonard is a small village in County Meath, Ireland. It lies on the R148 regional road between the towns of Kinnegad and Enfield. This road was the main road between Dublin and Galway until the construction of the M4 motorway - it is still used by traffic avoiding the toll on the M4.It is notable...
before rejoining the N4 west of Kinnegad.