The island of Ireland, comprising
Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to surfaced roads including modern
motorways. Northern Ireland has had motorways since 1962, and has a well-developed network of primary, secondary and local routes. Historically, the road network in the Republic of Ireland was less well developed and maintained. However, with the advent of the
Celtic Tiger and significant
European Union funding, most
national roads in the
Republic continue to be upgraded. In the 1990s the Republic went from having only a few short sections of motorway to constructing motorways,
dual-carriageways and other improvements on most major routes as part of a
National Development Plan. Road construction in Northern Ireland has proceeded at a slower pace in recent years, although a number of important
bypasses and upgrades to dual carriageway have recently been completed or are about to begin.