Legal authority for motorways existed in the Special Roads Act (Northern Ireland) 1963, similar to that in the Special Roads Act 1949 in Great Britain. The first motorway to open was the M1 motorway, though it did so under temporary powers until the Special Roads Act had been passed. Work on the motorways continued until the 1970s when the oil crisis and the Troubles both intervened causing the abandonment of many schemes. Only a small number of the motorways planned in 1964 were built: the M1 between Belfast and Dungannon, the M2 between Belfast and Antrim plus Ballymena bypass and the M22 from Antrim to Randalstown. A short section of motorway, called the A8(M), from the M2 towards Larne was also built as were two urban motorways in Belfast, the M5, and the M3 which was the final motorway scheme to open. A short section of the M12 was also built and the A1 from near Lisburn to Newry has been up-graded to dual-carriageway in place of building the M11. The Belfast Urban Motorway was partially built in modified form as the A12 Westlink dual-carriageway. At present, Northern Ireland has of motorway.
