Short Answer: the M2 Foreshore.
Long Answer: Contrary to popular belief the Westlink is NOT our busiest road - it is in fact only the third busiest road in Northern Ireland. Roads Service have installed dozens of automatic traffic counters on roads to give continuous figures. However, these are not published freely although they can be purchased. Indirect ways to get figures include putting in individual FOI requests (expensive), or searching for references to such figures in official documentation such as Hansard or council reports. I have used all these methods to compile a list of 120 separate traffic figures which are likely to include all the busiest routes. I cannot guarantee that I have found all relevant figures, so please bear that in mind when using this table. Note also that traffic figures on the Westlink have likely risen a good bit since the completion of the upgrade in 2009, but this is not reflected below.
The 20 busiest sections of the strategic road network in N Ireland for which I have figures are:
| |
Section of Road |
Average daily flow |
Source |
| 1 |
M2 Foreshore (specifically, the stretch between York Street j1A and Fortwilliam, j1) |
113,400 |
2009 Report into York Street Junction, Scott Wilson. Figure given is for 2004. |
| 2 |
M3 (Lagan Bridge) |
90,900 |
2009 Report into York Street Junction, Scott Wilson. Figure given is for 2004. |
| 3 |
A12 Westlink (Clifton Street to York Street) |
72,200 |
2009 Report into York Street Junction, Scott Wilson. Figure given is for 2004. |
| 4 |
M2 (Greencastle to Sandyknowes, j2-j4) |
71,536 |
Newtownabbey Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2006 |
| 5 |
A12 Westlink (measured at Roden Street) |
68,414 |
FOI to Roads Service, 2006 |
| 6 |
M1 (Broadway to Stockmans Lane, j1 to j2) |
66,604 |
FOI to Roads Service, 2006 |
| 7 |
A2 Sydenham Bypass (measured at City Airport) |
61,931 |
Written Answer in Assembly, 7 Nov 2008 |
| 8 |
M1 (Stockman's Lane to Black's Road, j2 to j3) |
56,562 |
FOI to Roads Service, 2006 |
| 9 |
M1 (Black's Road to Saintfield Road, j3 to j6) |
52,114 |
FOI to Roads Service, 2006 |
| 10 |
A2 Holywood Bypass |
47,793 |
Written Answer in Assembly, 7 Nov 2008 |
| 11 |
M2 (Templepatrick to Rathbeg, j5 to j6) |
43,867 |
Antrim Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2005 |
| 12 |
M5 (Greencastle to Hazelbank) |
43,317 |
Newtownabbey Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2006 |
| 13 |
M2 (Sandyknowes to Templepatrick, j4-j5) |
42,410 |
Belfast City Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2004 |
| 14 |
A2 Bangor Road (at Cultra) |
41,375 |
Written Answer in Assembly, 7 Nov 2008 |
| 15 |
A55 Outer Ring, Belfast (at Upper Knockbreda Road) |
39,390 |
Belfast City Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2004 |
| 16 |
M2 (Rathbeg j6) - M22 (Dunsilly, j1) |
39,074 |
Antrim Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2005 |
| 17 |
A2 Greenisland to Whiteabbey @ Jordanstown Rd |
37,876 |
Newtownabbey Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2006 |
| 18 |
A8 at Houston's Corner (B95 junction) |
34,362 |
Newtownabbey Borough Council, Air Quality Assessment, 2006 |
| 19 |
M1 (Lurgan to Portadown, j10 to j11) |
33,559 |
Craigavon Council Updating and Screening Assessment, 2006 |
| 20 |
M1 (Lisburn to Moira, j7 to j9) |
33,410 |
Hansard, 2004 |
|
