M1 Service Area (Dungannon) services
A4 at Dungannon
(close to the M1
Signposted from the road? Badly
BT70 1AE
map and directions
Single site located at a junction..
This page is about a particular brand of restaurant, rather than motorway restaurants in general - the whole website is dedicated to that!
Until 2015, Northern Ireland didn't have any official motorway services. What it had instead were a couple of odd places - and the service area at Dungannon is testament to that.
Firstly, it doesn't have official signs directing people to it, but the new A4 does have several non-standard signs pointing to a place called "Motorway Restaurant". Other sources claim that the place is called M1 Services, M1 Service Area or M1 Service Station. Any of those could be correct title, but it doesn't change the fact that the nearest motorway is almost two miles away!
Facilities
Catering: Template:Website Forecourt: Texaco, Centra, SubwayLPG
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
M1 Service Area
100 Woodlough Road
Dungannon
Co. Tyrone
BT70 1AE
Trivia and History
Until 2008, the site was a pair of BP petrol stations on the single carriageway A4. The westbound side was expanded and gained a Subway.
Frozen In Time
The larger westbound side also had the Motorway Restaurant which, despite the proximity of Cohannon, could still boast that it was one of Northern Ireland's only restaurants near a motorway. This was re-built in 2008.
Also that year, work started on upgrading the A4 to a dual carriageway. This required the eastbound petrol station to be closed and eventually demolished, although its footprint can still be seen.
As part of this project, the westbound petrol station lost its direct access to the A4, and would instead be accessed via a new roundabout. To take advantage of this, a new petrol station with a large sales shop (two-storey with space for several retailers) was built close to the roundabout. However, for reasons unknown, this project was never completed, and the new facility stands empty while the original petrol station quietly continues behind it.
With a possible replacement looming, work on maintaining the old petrol station appeared to have ceased. Its rough surface and old branding stuck out like a sore, unloved thumb. The old Subway counter in the back of this shop (more like a warehouse) had a sign which says "This Subway store Is was proudly owned by..."
Upgrade
In 2019, work recommenced on the abandoned site. It will be open 24 hours and branded Texaco, with another Subway, a Centra store and space for other retailers to open up. The Motorway Restaurant confirmed on 18 August 2019 that they would close and move into the new site, on the upper level. The new site opened on 22 August 2019, with the restaurant opening a week later (as confirmed on Facebook). The old BP closed down and is now history.
Opening
A NEW Centra store opened along the M1 in Co Tyrone with the creation of 50 new jobs.
The shop opened in Dungannon on Thursday thanks to a £2.2 million investment. The new outlet is owned by businessman George Patterson, who also owns fuel business Patterson Oil and a separate Centra store on Gilford Road in Portadown, Co Armagh. The shop includes hot self-serve food and salad bar Green Kitchen.
It also has a Frank and Honest coffee dock; a Mex-A-Go burrito bar and whipped and soft scoop Mullins ice-cream The new store features a large seating area on the ground floor alongside a Subway store. A children's play area sits alongside additional seating in the Motorway Restaurant on the first floor. Wi-Fi is available throughout the shop. A truck park is available on site including overnight facilities and a shower block. The new store also sells domestic fuel and has charge points for electric cars.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Cohannon (M1, 6 miles) | Services on the A4 (Northern Ireland) | none |