B23 (Northern Ireland)
B23 | |||||||||||||
Location Map ( geo) | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
From: | Belfast (J334730) | ||||||||||||
To: | Lisburn (J272639) | ||||||||||||
Via: | Ballylesson | ||||||||||||
Distance: | 8.8 miles (14.2 km) | ||||||||||||
Meets: | A1, A55, B205, A49 | ||||||||||||
Old route now: | A1, A55 | ||||||||||||
Primary Destinations | |||||||||||||
Highway Authorities | |||||||||||||
Traditional Counties | |||||||||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||
|
The B23 is one of the alternative routes from Belfast to Lisburn.
Originally the B23 started on the B39 North Street and headed along Gresham Street and King Street, along a route that now has the Castle Court shopping centre built on part of it. The route then followed Great Victoria Street (now part of the A1) to its current northern end at Bradbury Place.
The B23 heads south along University Road through the suburbs of Belfast. As might be expected from the street name it passes the Queen's University Belfast before running along Malone Road to meet the A55 at traffic lights. There is then a short multiplex across the River Lagan before the B23 regains its number by turning right. Prior to the inauguration of the A5 there was no gap in the B23 here.
The road then winds through the woods and fields to Ballylesson where it reaches a T-junction. To the left is the B205 (which provides a better route back to Belfast from here) and the B23 TOTSOs right. Our road now heads southwest along a winding road through Hillhall to Lisburn. It goes over the M1 just north of J6 before bending to the left and ending on the A49 (former B6) to the east of the city centre.
The B23 and the B205 is a popular route from the A55 from south-east Belfast to the M1 and Lisburn and this combination of roads acts as something of a ring road to the south of the city. Consequently, the B23 around Hillhall is much busier than most NI B roads.
.