N7 road
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The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Limerick and Dublin. 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. It forms part of European route E20.
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[edit] Naas Road
The N7 route commences on the outskirts of Dublin at the Red Cow Roundabout (often termed the "Mad Cow Roundabout" due to traffic problems), an intersection with the M50 motorway. The Red Cow Roundabout is being replaced with a near-freeflow interchange, as part of a €1.1 billion project to upgrade the M50 due for completion in 2008.
From the M50, the N7 passes south of Clondalkin leaving the city as the "Naas Road". A 15 km (9 mi) section of the N7 south of the M50 junction was upgraded to three lanes of dual-carriageway (i.e. an extra lane on each side), with work having commenced on the 4 January 2005 and concluded on August 14, 2006 (thumbnail left). This section of the N7 bypasses Kill and Johnstown in County Kildare. As part of the upgrade, grade-separated interchanges were constructed. The old junctions consisted of traffic lights with a break in the dual-carriageway median. The three lane section ends at junction 9 (Naas, Sallins) with a left hand lane-drop/lane-gain for traffic leaving/entering here.
New signage erected as part of this scheme includes junction numbers (previously the only numbered N7 junctions were some of the interchanges on the M7 motorway).
The N7 is the only one of the inter-urban routes out of Dublin which does not commence in Dublin city centre, but rather at the M50. The original N7 route (under the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974 (Decleration of National Roads) Order, 1977) started the route in Dublin city centre, like the other national routes, with the route originally running through Inchicore village before reaching the Naas Road. However in 1994, following the construction of the Chapelizod bypass which brought the N4 road in to Dublin city centre as dual carriageway, the N7 inside the M50 was downgraded to regional road status (as the R110 road), with N7 traffic being signposted to use the N4 and M50 rather than the original route through Inchicore.
[edit] M7 motorway
| M7 motorway | |
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| Part of National Route |  |
| Length | 63 km (40 miles) |
| Direction | Northeast-Southwest |
| Start | (N7 from Dublin) Naas |
| Primary destinations | Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin, Portlaoise (N8 to Cork) |
| End | Mountrath (N7 to Limerick) |
| Construction dates | 1983 (Naas Bypass/J7-J8) 1993 (Newbridge Bypass/J8-J10) 1997 (Portlaoise Bypass) 2003 (Kildare Bypass) 2004 (Monasterevin Bypass) - |
| Motorways joined | 11 -  M9 motorway |
| Other National Routes joined | 16 - N80 road 17 -  N8 road |
| Euroroute(s) |  |
- Main article: M7 motorway (Republic of Ireland)
Outside Dublin, five consecutive bypass projects lasting from 1983 to 2004, around Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin and Portlaoise, have replaced the single carriageway road (and the Naas to Newbridge dual-carriageway) with motorway. The N7 road originally passed through the town centres of each of these towns. This route section is designated the M7 motorway, and is continuous between north of Naas and west of Portlaoise, following the opening of the Monasterevin bypass in late 2004. The bypassed roads that used to be the N7 at various times are all now classified as the R445 road. The N7 is noted for two firsts in the history of Irish roads - the first substantial length of dual carriageway in the Republic of Ireland, running 26 km (16 mi) from Dublin to Naas which was completed in 1968 and also Ireland's first section of motorway, the 8 km (5 mi) Naas Bypass, opened in 1983 bypassing the original route through the town.
[edit] Portlaoise to Limerick
South of Portlaoise, the N7 passes through Mountrath, Castletown and Borris-in-Ossory (a stopover for Dublin–Limerick Bus Éireann services). A bypass skirts Roscrea, although the road is close to the town, necessitating a low speed limit, and a number of roundabout junctions. The N7 passes through Dunkerrin, Moneygall and Toomevara, all small villages along the route. A couple of kilometres after Toomevara, the route proceeds along a 10 km (6 mi) bypass of Nenagh. There are junctions at either end of the bypass, but no junction for the R498 to Thurles, although a grade separated junction will be constructed here as part of the upgrade of this single carriageway bypass.
The only major settlement between Nenagh and Limerick is at Birdhill. Traffic calming and speed limits also apply at Daly's Cross, a much smaller settlement close to Limerick. The N7 route officially follows the Southern Ring Road around Limerick City to meet the N20 near Carew Park. As of 2006, most signage in Limerick City has not been upgraded to reflect this, and the R445 (old N7 route through the city) [1] is mostly still signposted as the N7. The R445 is properly signposted from the N7 at the beginning of the Southern Ring Road.
[edit] Upgrade projects
Further schemes in planning will replace the single carriageway route from Port Laoise to Limerick with a motorway or high quality dual carriageway (HQDC). Work on a major improvement project began on 7 December 2006 which will upgrade the route from Limerick to Nenagh. This scheme will involve 38 km (24 mi) of new road. 28 km (17 mi) will be high quality dual carriageway. The other 10 km (6 mi) will be the upgrading of the existing Nenagh bypass from single carriageway to standard dual carriageway. The new Limerick-Nenagh road is expected to be completed by mid 2009.
Work started in 2007 on a project that will extend the M7 motorway from Port Laoise to Castletown, near Borris-in-Ossory, a distance of some 28 km (17 mi). The project will include a tie in with the new M8 motorway and will move the intersection of the two routes some 20 km (12 mi) to the south west, from Port Laoise to Aghaboe. The project will be tolled, with a toll plaza to be located to the north of the M7/M8 junction. The upgrade will take the M7 considerably off the line of the current N7 route 5 km (3.1 mi) at the maximum, and is therefore unusual in Ireland.
A final project connecting these two schemes, a motorway/HQDC from Castletown to Nenagh, commenced in March 2008. This road, 56 km (35 mi) in length, will complete the N7 upgrades between Dublin and Limerick.
On 29 January 2008 the NRA proposed to the Minister for Transport under the procedures laid down by the Roads Act 2007 that the high quality dual carriageway under construction from Nenagh-Limerick as well as the proposed Castletown - Nenagh HQDC should be reclassified as fully fledged motorway. A public consultation is underway, should the move be approved by the Minister following this both schemes will open as part of the M7 motorway.
[edit] Limerick Southern Ring Road Scheme
This project is divided into 2 phases; Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 of the scheme consists of approximately 10 km (6 mi) of dual carriageway, and was completed in May 2004, and joins the N20 road to Cork and the N21 road to Kerry.
Construction started on Phase 2 of the scheme on 26 October 2006, when the then Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, turned the sod on the project. Phase 2 will consist of 10 km (6 mi) of dual carriageway, 11 bridges, 6 underpasses, 4 interchanges and 900m (½ mile) of tunnel under the River Shannon. The scheme will link up to the N18 Ennis Road. The project is expected to be completed by September 2010. It is likely to be tolled, costing around 90c for a motorcycle, €1.70 for a car, €3.10 for a bus and €5.50 for a lorry. The tunnel project is a PPP (Public Private Partnership), and will cost roughly €660m. The cost to the actual government, however, will only be around €360m. Direct Route will operate the tunnel for 35 years. Direct Route also operate the M8 motorway which bypasses Fermoy, Co. Cork. The M8 is also tolled.
[edit] Junctions
As of 2006, junctions are being properly numbered, according to a national scheme now being implemented. So far (August 2006) only on the Naas Road dual-carriageway and on some new signage being erected on various newly opened stretches of National Primary Route motorway/continuous median dual-carriageway. The junctions on the Naas Bypass and Newbridge Bypass sections of the M7 were previously numbered J7-J11 (now renumbered Junctions 9-13), in the expectation that an M7 motorway would be built along a new alignment. Instead the Naas Road dual-carriageway was upgraded. The R113 junction (Newlands Cross) is the only remaining at-grade junction between the M50 and M7, with traffic lights and a break in central median. There are plans to construct a grade separated interchange here. [2] There also remain some private accesses and minor exits prior to J9, the beginning of the M7 motorway.
| N7 National Primary Route | ||
| Southbound | Junction (old no.) |
Northbound |
| N/A |  |
M50 motorway  |
| Newlands Cross (at grade): Belgard Road for Tallaght; Fonthill Road for , Clondalkin R113 | - | Newlands Cross (at grade): Belgard Road for Tallaght; Fonthill Road for , Clondalkin R113 |
| Kingswood Interchange: Outer Ring Road R136 |  |
Kingswood Interchange: Outer Ring Road R136 |
| Citywest Road N82 |  |
Citywest Road N82 |
| Rathcoole |  |
Rathcoole |
| Steelstown Interchange: Steelstown |  |
Steelstown Interchange: Steelstown |
| Castlewarden Interchange: Castlewarden R445 |  |
Castlewarden Interchange: Castlewarden R445 |
| Kill Interchange: Kill R445 |  |
Kill Interchange: Kill R445 |
| Johnstown Interchange: Johnstown R445 |  |
Johnstown Interchange: Johnstown R445 |
| M7 motorway | ||
| Maudlin's Interchange: Naas, Sallins R445 |  ( ) |
Maudlin's Interchange: Naas, Sallins R445 |
| Newbridge, Caragh and Togher services R445 |  ( ) |
Newbridge, Caragh and Togher services R445 |
| The SOUTH EAST M9 (J1) |  () |
No access |
| The Curragh, Kilcullen R413; Newbridge R445 |  ( ) |
Newbridge R445; The Curragh, Kilcullen R413 |
| Kildare; Nurney R415 |  ( ) |
Kildare; Nurney R415 |
| Monasterevin R445 |  |
Monasterevin R445 |
| Emo service area R445 |  |
Emo service area R445 |
| Portlaoise, (Carlow, Tullamore, N80) R445 |  |
(Carlow, Tullamore, N80), Portlaoise R445 |
| Cork, Cashel N8; Portlaoise R423 |  |
Cork, Cashel N8; Portlaoise R423 |
| No access |  |
Portlaoise R445 |
| Junctions 19 - 30 planned and/or under construction as of 2006 | ||
The likely numbered locations for future N7 junctions, according to current plans are as follows:
Portlaoise/Castletown/Cullahill (Construction soon):
- 19. Ballycuddihy (Restricted, M8 Junction 1, nr Aghaboe)
- 20. Coolfin (Restricted, local access, nr Aghaboe)
- 21. Borris In Ossory
Castletown to Nenagh (Planned):
- 22. Roscrea
- 23. Moneygall
Nenagh Bypass (Built, to be upgraded):
- 24. Toomyvara (R445 west into Nenagh)
- 25. Knockalton (R498 from Nenagh to Thurles - new junction on Nenagh Bypass)
- 26. Carrigatoher (R445 east from Nenagh)
Nenagh to Limerick (Under construction):
- 27. Birdhill
- 28. Annacotty (R445 west into Limerick, R503 to Newport)
Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 1 (Built):
- 29. Ballysimon (N24)
- 30. Rossbrien (N20)
A further three junctions are planned as part of the Limerick Southern Ring Road phase 2 which will extend the N7 around to meet the N18. Junction numbers are likely to continue from the above.
- 31. N69 Dock Road
- 32. Coonagh West
- 33. N18 (end of N7)
[edit] References
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