A501 (Northern Ireland)
A501 | |||||||
Location Map ( geo) | |||||||
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From: | Belfast (J333742) | ||||||
To: | Stonyford (J200690) | ||||||
Distance: | 11 miles (17.7 km) | ||||||
Meets: | A11, A12, A55, A30 | ||||||
Former Number(s): | B37 | ||||||
Primary Destinations | |||||||
Highway Authorities | |||||||
Traditional Counties | |||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||
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Route
The A501 is a short A-road in southern County Antrim.
It starts in the centre of Belfast on either the A1 College Square or the A11 Millfield (map opinions differ). The road then heads west along Divis Street and soon crosses the A12 at a grade-separated Single Point Urban Interchange. From here, it heads along Falls Road, the centre of Belfast's Catholic community.
The A501 continues southwestwards through the suburbs and eventually reaches open country on the far side of Hannahstown. It descends into Colin Glen where it bends through 180 degrees to head south as it climbs out again. The road quickly regains its westerly direction and continues across the fields to meet the B101 to the north of Lisburn. Following a short multiplex the A501 TOTSOs left. A couple of miles further on the road ends at a T-junction on the A30.
History
In the 1923 Road Lists the A501 only consisted of a short link road in central Belfast. It started on the then-A6 Donegall Place and ran east for just over a quarter of a mile along Castle Place and High Street to end on the A2 Victoria Street.
The road was quickly extended west to its current terminus at Stonyford. This road had been unclassified in 1923. It was quickly numbered B37 but had become the A501 by the mid-1920s.
Improvements in Belfast town centre mean that the original section of A501 is now unclassified.