N5 road (Ireland)

N5 road
Charlestown bypass on the N5 in County Mayo
Route information
Length:	132 km (82 mi)
Location
Primary destinations:	(bypassed towns in italics) County Longford (N4) Longford (N63) Cloondara County Roscommon Termonbarry Strokestown † Tulsk † (N61) Bellanagare † Frenchpark † Ballaghaderreen County Mayo Carracastle Charlestown (N17) (N26) Swinford Bohola † Bellavary † (N58) Turlough Castlebar † (N60) Westport † (N59) † Bypasses planned.
Road network
Roads in Ireland Motorways Primary Secondary Regional

(bypassed towns in italics)

The N5 road is a national primary road in Ireland, connecting Longford town with Westport. It is the main access route from Dublin (via the M4/N4) to most of County Mayo, including the county's largest towns, Castlebar, Ballina (via the N26), and Westport.

Almost all of the route has been improved during the 2000s with the construction of bypasses and extensive resurfacing works on stretches not bypassed. From Longford, the N5 passes through Strokestown and close to Ballaghaderreen, before crossing the N17 at an interchange near Ireland West Airport Knock. The N26 to Ballina leaves the N5 just outside Swinford. The road is 132 kilometres (82 mi) long.

The N5 is a two-lane, single carriageway route throughout its entire length. The road has wide driving lanes and hard shoulders for 65 km between Castlebar and just west of Frenchpark, and between Strokestown and Longford (20 km). The rest of the route has just short sections with hard shoulders but many remaining stretches were widened slightly during resurfacing works in the past 10 to 15 years.

Almost all of the route has a modern asphalt surface laid after the year 2000.

The standard of the N5 road is a significant political issue in Mayo. Local politicians have argued that because the N5 is the main access route to the county, it should be upgraded to a consistent standard - a single carriageway road with hard shoulders, bypassing all towns along the route.