Two new motorway service areas on the main Belfast-Dublin road will open by October — more than three years after they were proposed.

A source at the National Roads Authority (NRA) confirmed that the services will be at Dromiskin, Co Louth, and between Balbriggan and Lusk.

These rest areas will be the first three provided by the Republic's Road Act 2007, which called for 12 new services on Irish motorways.

“Contracts have been awarded and construction is under way on the M1 South and M1 North service areas,” an NRA spokesman said.

“Work on all three facilities will be completed in 2010.”

In 2008, Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey signed off the Road Act 2007 to allow service areas along major national routes.

It was intended, at first, to build 12 service stations on five southern motorways by 2011.

The NRA has said that it will now put up signs to indicate fuel stations just off motorways.