A28 (Northern Ireland)

The A28 is a medium-length A-road in southern Northern Ireland.

It starts in Newry where it connects to the A2, which also forms part of the trunk T15 route. Road improvements in the area have lengthened the road somewhat as the road now starts on the A1 bypass to the northeast of town and heads south into the city centre along the pre-bypass A1. After meeting the A27, the ex-A1 from there to the A2 could be either number.

The mainline of the A28, however, turned off some distance to the north. It heads west, crossing the Newry River and Canal before meeting the A27 at a roundabout. A spur of the A28 continues ahead to meet the A1 and A25 but the mainline of the A28 now heads northwestwards, back on its original route. It meets the A1 once more and also meets a spur of the A27 before the road leaves Newry - and these two roads - behind.

The A28 between Newry and Markethill

The A28 heads northwest across open country. This section, which includes a bypass of Markethill, is representative of Northern Ireland main-road driving. Passing through drumlin countryside, the older road with its bends and climbs was upgraded in a number of major schemes from the 1960s to the 1980s to good quality S2 with hard shoulders. This means that there are frequent sections of older route alongside the present alignment. Some sections retain the kerb and raised hard shoulder typical of 1960s NI main road construction.

When the A28 reaches Armagh it passes along a narrower traditional street to traffic lights on the A3. At this point the A28 ceases to be trunk, the T15 continuing right on the A3. There is a short multiplex west on a throughpass for the city until that road TOTSOs at a GSJ (despite both roads being single-carriageway) and the A28 continues ahead and soon leaves town.

West of Armagh the road has not always been upgraded, although it has some improved sections, including a short bypass of the village of Killylea. After a junction with the B210 the road crosses the River Blackwater before turning more northerly towards Caledon, and proceeds to Aughnacloy, remaining north of the River Blackwater which forms the border at this point. It is obvious that this next section of road has been upgraded as it is much straighter than expected. Finally the road reaches Aughnacloy where it ends at a TOTSO on the A5.

Originally the road continued beyond a short multiplex to regain its number as a non-primary road which zigzagged to the west as far as the A4 at Augher. This section was downgraded to the B128 on 11 February 2013 [1].