Roads Act, 1993

PART II

Classification of Roads and Assignment of Functions

Classification of national, regional and local roads.

10.—(1) (a) The Minister may by order classify any existing public road or any proposed public road as a national road.

(b) The Minister may by order classify any existing public road or any proposed public road as a regional road.

(c) A public road, other than a national road or a regional road, shall be a local road.

(d) Where a public road has been classified as a national road or a regional road under this subsection and where that road has been realigned or a by-pass has been constructed on it, such realignment or by-pass shall, unless otherwise provided by order of the Minister under this subsection, be a national road or a regional road, as the case may be, and that section of the existing road which remains following the realignment or the construction of the by-pass shall be a local road.

(2) (a) The Minister may make regulations—

(i) prescribing classes of public roads in addition to or in substitution for the classes referred to in subsection (1), and

(ii) making provision for the assignment of responsibility for the maintenance and construction of such classes of public roads and for the adaptation for that purpose of any of the provisions of section 13

(b) Regulations under this subsection may provide either generally or in a particular case that a reference in any enactment (including this Act) or instrument to a national road, a regional road or a local road is to be construed as a reference to a public road of a class prescribed in such regulations.

(3) (a) The Minister (in the case of national roads and regional roads) and a road authority (in the case of local roads) may by order—

(i) designate particular roads for particular purposes,

(ii) divide a particular class of roads into subclasses.

(b) Where the Authority stands established under section 16 the Minister shall consult with it before classifying a public road or a proposed public road as a national road under subsection (1) (a) or before making an order under paragraph (a) of this subsection relating to a national road.

(4) (a) The Minister shall assign a number or other identifying mark to each national road and regional road.

(b) A road authority shall assign a number or other identifying mark to each local road in respect of which it has responsibility.

(5) (a) A road authority shall keep a schedule and map of all public roads in respect of which it has responsibility.

(b) A road authority shall prepare the schedule and map as soon as practicable after the commencement of this section and shall take all reasonable measures to keep the schedule and map up to date.

(c) The schedule and map shall be kept at the offices of the road authority and shall be available for inspection during office hours.

(d) The schedule and map may be kept otherwise than in a legible form provided that the information contained therein is capable of being reproduced in a legible form.

(e) Articles 85, 86 and 87 of the Public Bodies Order, 1946 are hereby revoked.

(6) A road authority shall, at the request of the Minister and in such manner as may be specified by him, carry out an inventory of all public roads, or of any class or subclass of public road, in respect of which it has responsibility.