N7 road
|
|
The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin to Limerick. The road passes through the midlands of Ireland, and acts as a trunk route out of Dublin for the N8 and N9 roads to Cork and Waterford respectively.
The road leaves Dublin south of Clondalkin, where it is called the "Naas Road" (the Luas tram system runs along the median of the dual carriageway). The N7 intersects the M50 motorway at the "Red Cow Roundabout", often termed the "Mad Cow Roundabout" due to traffic problems. This section of the N7 is to be upgraded to three lanes of dual-carriageway, with work having commenced on the 4 January 2005. The Mad Cow Roundabout is also to be replaced with a near-freeflow interchange, as part of a €1.1 billion project to upgrade the M50.
Outside Dublin, five consecutive bypass projects, around Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and Portlaoise, have replaced the single carriageway road with motorway. The N7 road originally passed through the town centres of these places. This route section is designated M7 motorway, and is continuous from the outskirts of Dublin to south of Portlaoise, following the opening of the Monasterevin bypass in late 2004. The section of the M7 bypassing Naas, an 8 kilometre stretch, was the first section of motorway to open in the Republic of Ireland in 1983.
Past Portlaoise, the route runs around the outskirts of Roscrea, and completely bypasses Nenagh. After meeting Limerick's southern ring road, the N7 bypasses Annacotty and enters Limerick through Castletroy.