High-quality dual carriageway

High-quality dual carriageways have full grade-separated access and do not have junctions with minor roads.

Such roads in the Republic of Ireland have been built as part of the 2000–2006 and 2007–2013 National Development Plans, including interurban routes from Dublin to other cities.

There are exceptions however, as special speed limits may now be specified for sections of road if the local authority passes a by-law.

Also, L-Drivers (Learner Drivers), who are not permitted to drive on motorways can do so on high-quality dual carriageways, as on the rest of the national road network.

In 2007 new legislation was introduced to allow the Government to designate HQDCs as motorways and thus avoid the risk of permission for direct access being granted by local planning authorities.

[2] The Roads Act 2007 was passed by the Oireachtas in early 2007 and signed into law to by the President of Ireland on 11 July 2007.

This Act made provision for the redesignation of suitable dual carriageways to motorway status.

The initial applications proposed the following roads be redesignated as motorways: The consultation procession lasted until 28 March 2008.

On 17 July 2008 the Minister signed a statutory instrument reclassifying all the HQDCs then either under construction or recently completed on the N7/M7, and N8/M8 as well as parts of the N6/M6 and N9/M9 as motorway.

On 30 September 2008, the NRA proposed that the following dual-carriageways be re-designated as motorways: The closing date for submissions was 14 November 2008.

In some instances the cost of this retrofit ran to millions of euro as it involved the replacement of existing gantry and large panel signage as well as the application of hundreds of kilometres of thermoplastic road paint.

In September 2008, the Cahir to Cashel stretch of the M8 had its gantry signage changed and hard shoulder re-painted.