A54 (Northern Ireland)
A54 | ||||||||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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From: | Coleraine (C844323) | |||||||||
To: | Castledawson (H916924) | |||||||||
Via: | Kilrea | |||||||||
Distance: | 29.5 miles (47.5 km) | |||||||||
Meets: | A29, A42, A6, A31 | |||||||||
Former Number(s): | B65, A31 | |||||||||
Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The A54, a medium-length A-road running parallel to the River Bann through County Londonderry, provides an alternative, parallel, route to the northern section of the A29. The road was originally the B65 but gained its current number in the late 1920s.
The road starts on the A29 Coleraine bypass, at a roundabout on the left bank of the river Bann, and heads south. A TOTSO left on the southern edge of town takes the road into open country. The road continues upstream along the river, which is sometimes visible to the left. However, road and river often separate so that the A54 can follow a straighter route.
Presently the road detours east to meet the B66 and then heads west along that road's alignment through Agivey. It soon TOTSOs left to cross the Agivey River and continue its southerly course. The road is fairly straight until it reaches Kilrea. It crosses the B64 at a roundabout and then heads towards the church where there is another roundabout and the A54 turns left. It continues roughly southwards, with the river now some distance to the left, to reach a T-junction on the A42. There's a multiplex to the left and we regain our number by turning right soon before the A42 crosses the Bann. The A54 now heads southwards through the outskirts of Portglenone before bearing right to avoid a wood. It's not long before we're actually west of the multiplex.
The road continues southwestwards, now constantly heading away from the Bann which will not be met again. A few bends take us into Bellaghy, then we continue along Old Town Road to reach a T-junction on the now-unclassified original route of the A6. This is the original southern end of the A54 but the road now continues. We turn left then right to cross and then run into Castledawson on what was the eastern end of the A31. There we cross the Moyola River and then run through the centre of the village to end back in open country at a roundabout on the present A6. The road ahead is the B40 into the centre of Magherafelt, and second left is the A31 bypass, which eventually returns traffic to the A29.