R118
| R118 | ||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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| From: | Dublin (O163338) | |||||||||
| To: | Laughanstown (O235228) | |||||||||
| Via: | Dún Laoghaire | |||||||||
| Distance: | 13.4 km (8.3 miles) | |||||||||
| Meets: | R138, R815, R802, R814, R111, R816, R824, R131, N31, R831, R119, R829, R828, N11, M50 | |||||||||
| Former Number(s): | T44 | |||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The R118 is a road in two parts: running from the Trinity College area of Dublin south-eastward to Blackrock via Ballsbridge; and from Dún Laoghaire to Junction 16 of the M50 at Laughanstown via Ballybrack.
The first section is the main urban route between Dublin and Dun Laoghaire, though it is also the backbone of the so-called D4 Set. It has a complicated beginning, taking in the one-way section of Pearse Street (part of which is now open to buses and taxis only), where it met the former N11.
Once clear of Merrion Square, it runs along Mount Street, over the Grand Canal on McKenny's Bridge, meeting Pembroke Road, a key route around the south side of the city in the pre-motorway era. At Ballsbridge, the US Embassy, RDS and British Embassy all provide landmarks.
After Ballsbridge, the R118 becomes Merrion Road, known for its expensive house prices. At Merrion Gates, the road begins to run along the sea, although the seafront here is dominated by the electric railway. It is still a wide road, but there are some short section of dual carriageway around Blackrock DART station and Blackrock Park. The road ends on the N31 Blackrock Bypass.
The R118 re-appears at the seafront in Dun Laoghaire. It runs along the Glenageary Road and the Sally Glen Road. It then becomes a dual carriageway, flying over the N11 on one of Ireland's oldest flyovers, at Loughlinstown. The road comes to an end at the M50 in the newly-developed area of Cherrywood.
Curiously, the 1970s Dublin Transportation Plan suggested a one-way system operate between Ballsbridge and Grand Canal, with the R118 being inbound-only and the R815 running outbound only. This was to reduce the number of junctions on the R111, as the latter would have tunnelled underneath it.
