The N65 Portumna Swing Bridge over the River Shannon
The N65 is a cross-country route connecting Carrowkeel on the M6, 8 km north-northwest of Loughrea in County Galway, to the N52 in Borrisokane, County Tipperary. It provides a more direct route from the M6 to the M7 (via the N52), in comparison to the faster but longer M18 / N18.
Route
The road starts at junction 16 of the M6, where there's a high-quality single carriageway road to Loughrea, where it meets the R446 halfway round the town bypass. It heads out east before TOTSOing off to the right, and the standard of road drops dramatically to a typical winding rural road. The N65 continues southeast to Portumna, where there's a TOTSO with the R352. After running through the town, it crosses the River Shannon on the Portumna Swing Bridge, which is periodically closed to let shipping traffic through. The N65 runs along the edge of Loch Derg, part of the Shannon's course, and heads south to Borrisokane to end on yet another TOTSO with the N52.
History
The N65 originally started at Lecarrow, east of Loughrea on what was the N6 (which explains the TOTSO). It was extended along the former N6 and a new-build road to meet the M6 when the motorway opened in 2009.
