{{UK motorway routebox|
| motorway= A8(M)
| length-mi= 1
| length-km= 1.6
| direction= North - South
| start= Newtownabbey
| destinations= None
| end= Newtownabbey
| opening-date= 1966
|completion-date=entire motorway
| junctions= None
| euroroute= {{European route number small sign|01}}
}}
The '''A8(M)''' is a Motorway in County_Antrim, Northern_Ireland. It is 1 miles (1.6 Km) long and is a spur of the M2 motorway. It was opened on 24_October 1966The Motorway Archive - M2 Northern Ireland Dates page built at the same time as the M2 section it connects to. It is part of the unsigned European_Route_E01.
The A8(M) does not meet any other motorways directly, with one end connecting to the A8, and the other connecting to the A6. The Roundabout junction which links the A8(M) to the M2 CBRD Motorway Database - A8(M) (NI) URL accessed 17_June 2006 is the A6.
Although both sides of the road are the same width, the northbound direction has three lanes, one of which is only partly open to traffic, while southbound only has two. Despite being the shortest motorway in Northern Ireland, the motorway still includes matrix displays Pathetic motorways - A8(M) URL accessed 17_June 2006 and is classified as a separate road, unlike other similar spurs, such as the Walton Summit motorway spur of the M65_motorway, which are classified as parts of other motorways.
==History==
In 1956 proposals for several motorways, including the M2, were announced with the M2 running directly to BallymenaNorthern Ireland Roads Site - History of Motorway Plans. Part of this alignment became the A8(M) when in 1964 further plans changed the route of the M2 via Antrim to Coleraine, away from it's original direct alignment over difficult TerrainThe Motorway Archive - M2 (Northern Ireland), which is how the plans for construction were then progressed. This road was already under construction at Newtownabbey, so it was left as a spur.
This section was renamed the A8(M) as it links to the A8 continuing as an A-road all the way to LarneNorthern Ireland Roads Site - A8(M).
==Junctions==
{| border=1 cellpadding=2 style="margin-left:1em; margin-bottom: 1em; color: black; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|- align="center" bgcolor="0080d0" style="color: white;font-size:120%;"
| colspan="3" | '''A8(M) Motorway'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="000000" style="color: white"
| Northbound exits
| Junction
| Southbound exits
|- align="center"
| Larne '''A8'''
Ballyclare, Newtownabbey '''B56''' | J1
''Terminus'' | ''Start of Motorway'' |- align="center" | ''Start of Motorway'' | M2 J4
''Terminus'' | Belfast, Antrim '''M2'''
Glengormley, Mallusk '''A6'''
Newtonabbey '''B90''' |} == See also == *List_of_motorways_in_the_United_Kingdom ==References==
==External links==
*CBRD
**The Motorway Database - A8(M)
**Northern Ireland film (QuickTime)
*Northern Ireland Roads Site - A8(M)
*The Motorway Archive - M2 (Northern Ireland)
{{Northern Irish roads}}
{{Template:UK motorways}}
8-0008
8-0008
Ballyclare, Newtownabbey '''B56''' | J1
''Terminus'' | ''Start of Motorway'' |- align="center" | ''Start of Motorway'' | M2 J4
''Terminus'' | Belfast, Antrim '''M2'''
Glengormley, Mallusk '''A6'''
Newtonabbey '''B90''' |} == See also == *List_of_motorways_in_the_United_Kingdom ==References==