A17 (Isle of Man)

The A17 is a link road in the north of the Isle of Man.

Looking south from Andreas

The route starts at a T junction on the A3 at the northern end of Sulby Bridge in Sulby village, and heads north along a wide straight through fields. There are houses scattered along the roadside, some large and some in small groups. The route then becomes narrower and windier as it reaches the small village of St Judes, where it crosses the A13 at a slightly staggered crossroads, the A13 maintaining priority. Most of the village is strung along the A13, so the A17 quickly leaves, and turns right to wind eastwards, although before long it starts to curve back to head north once more. The B7 turns off to the east at Kerroogarroo, while the A17 continues to meander north, curving north east as it approaches Andreas, the B3 turning left just before the village.

Andreas is possibly the largest settlement north of the A3, and the A17 enters on Andreas Road, winding past modern housing and the junction with the A19 as it heads into the centre of the village. Here, it meets the A9, and TOTSOs left onto Bride Road in front of the school, with the B2 turning left just before the junction. The B6 is then met at a roundabout before the A17 leaves Andreas behind. It now follows a wide, fast, sinuous route around the north side of the old Andreas Airfield, but the road is subject to a 60 limit, presumably because its layout has encouraged dangerous driving in the past.

Ahead lies the small range of low hills that cross the north eastern corner of the island, and the sweeping bends are soon climbing, getting narrower and narrower as the route gains altitude. Before long, however, it reaches the small village of Bride and after a short run along West Kimmeragh Road, it comes to an end at a T junction on the A10, which tours around the northern coast of the island.

History

As originally numbered in the 1920's, the route was given the B6 number. It had been renumbered as the A17 by 1963.