The N7 Nenagh to Limerick high quality Dual Carriageway is a joint project of Limerick County Council and North Tipperary County Council in consultation with the National Roads Authority.

The N7 National Primary Route is the main link between Dublin and Limerick. The National Development Plan 2000-2006 identified that urgent improvements to this link are needed. The road was outlined in the plan to be developed as a motorway/high quality dual carriageway. Limerick County Council, and North Tipperary County Council, in partnership with the
National Roads Authority (NRA), is developing a new 38km road between Nenagh and Limerick. The 38km project consists of 28km motorway standard cross section in a green field site plus the widening of the Nenagh Bypass to dual carriageway standard.

In November 2006 Limerick County Council awarded a contract to design and build the N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway to Bothar Hibernian N7 JV. Bothar Hibernian is a consortium comprising Mota-Engil (Portugal), Michael McNamara Company and Coffey Construction Ltd.

The contract was signed on the 3rd November 2006 and the completion date is May 2009. The N7 Project is for the provision of a high-quality dual-carriageway that connects to the Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase I at the future Newport interchange in the townlands of Mountshannon and Carrowkeel. The roadway then passes through Richhill and Lisnagry, avoiding Drominboy Bog and following a line to the Limerick/Tipperary county boundary via Gooig.


Section A : Newport Interchange to Birdhill
The scheme commences with the tie-in to the Limerick South Ring Road at a new Newport Interchange rising on an embankment to pass over this roundabout and on through Rich Hill and Lisnagry then along the west edge of Drominboy Bog area. It crosses a number of local roads with bridges before coming to the extensive bog area of Annaholty which it crosses on embankment. At Touknockane it passes through the community of Cooleen in cutting while the R504 crosses it on a bridge. The alignment of the section R504 is being improved to eliminate the existing bends and improve sight distances. The Birdhill interchange is located mainly in Ballyard and Lackenavea townlands.


Section B : Birdhill to Carrigatogher
From the Birdhill interchange the route goes initially on a low embankment then into a deep cutting, up to 25m, through a ridge north of Ballinahinch. It then cuts through a lesser ridge before dropping down to the approximately 300m long Viaduct over the Kilmastulla River and the Limerick to Nenagh railway line. It crosses the R499 by bridge and into Kilnacranna and Castlecranna. The embankment then rises to cross the existing N7 in Ballywilliam. From Ballywilliam to Carrigatogher it rises to its highest elevation of 107m before curving eastwards to the east end of the Nenagh bypass but avoiding the Ringfort in Ballyhisky.


Section C : Carrigatogher to the single carriageway N7 Nenagh to Castletown
The existing platform of the Nenagh bypass is being widened from 22m to 28.5m within the existing land-take. Both legs of the existing Carrigatogher interchange are being realigned to the new Junction 26. A new dumbbell type interchange is being built at the Thurles Road Junction 25 and the R498 with realignment of the existing roads to allow traffic movements in all directions. After the Thurles Road interchange the Dual Carriageway tapers back to a single carriageway at the end of the existing Nenagh bypass.