B46 (Northern Ireland)
| B46 | ||||||||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||||||||
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| From: | Newtownstewart (H238495) | |||||||||||||||
| To: | Enniskillen (N) (H402861) | |||||||||||||||
| Via: | Gortlin, Carrickmore, Beragh, Dromore, Ballinamallard | |||||||||||||||
| Distance: | 55.4 miles (89.2 km) | |||||||||||||||
| Meets: | B84, A5, B165, B47, B48, A505, B4, B158, A5, B83, B122, B80, A32, B123, A32 | |||||||||||||||
| Former Number(s): | A32 | |||||||||||||||
| Old route now: | A32 | |||||||||||||||
| Primary Destinations | ||||||||||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||||||||
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Route
The B46 is a long, U-shaped B-road, mostly in County Tyrone. It forms part of an unofficial Omagh ring road.
The road starts on the pre-bypass A5 in the centre of Newtownstewart and heads north out of town, quickly crossing the Strule River before reaching the A5 bypass. There is a short multiplex west before the B46 turns right to regain its number. The road now heads east above the Owenkillew River, soon bending to the right to cross it. After a straight and then a winding section of road the B46 reaches Gortin and the B48.
The B46 heads east out of Gortin to cross the Owenreagh River and follow it upstream via Greencastle to Creggan, where the A505 is crossed. Now heading south, the road crosses the undulating fields to Carrickmore. A mini-roundabout is reached and the B46 turns right (signposted Town Centre), quickly arriving at a T-junction on the B4.
There is a multiplex to the left for over a mile to leave town, before the B46 regains its number by turning right. It quickly bends sharply right and now heads westwards. A few miles further on it reaches Beragh and TOTSOs left at a junction with the B158. The B46 heads southwest along Moylagh Road and quickly reaches the A5 once more; this has taken the direct route via Omagh to get here from Newtownstewart and as such has arrived in half the distance.
The A5 is crossed at a staggered crossroads and the B46 continues southwest across the fields. It gives way to cross the B122 before bending sharply left to enter Fintona. Here the road runs along Main Street and TOTSOs right on meeting the B80 to leave town. The B46 now runs slightly northerly through the hills to reach Dromore and a mini-roundabout is reached on the near side of town. The right fork is a spur of the B46 into the village centre to meet the A32 at a roundabout. However, the mainline of the B46 continues left.
The B46 now heads south once more across the fields. After a couple of miles the road bends to the right and reaches Trillick, where it bends sharply left at the near end of the Main Street. Ballinamallard is reached presently and the B46 forks right at a mini-roundabout onto Enniskillen Road. The next section of the road is more-or-less straight. Eventually the B46 ends at a T-junction on the A32 near Enniskillen airport.
History
According to the 1923 Road Lists the B46 only ran originally between the A5 in Newtownstewart and the B48 in Gortin but was extended considerably in the mid-1920s, taking on its current route from Gortin to Dromore. There was then a short multiplex through the village centre along the A32 before the B46 continued southwest to end on the A35 in Irvinestown. The road from Dromore to Enniskillen was the original route of the A32.
Some time after the 1970s the B46 and A32 swapped numbers west of Dromore, giving the B46 its current route. The present spur in Dromore is what used to be the multiplex.
