Until 2012, the N7 was the only one of the inter-urban routes out of Dublin which did not commence in Dublin city centre, but rather at the M50. The original N7 route (under the "Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974 (Declaration 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 (now R148) into Dublin city centre as dual carriageway, the N7 inside the M50 was downgraded to regional road status (as the R110 road), with N7 traffic signposted to use the N4 and M50 rather than the original route through Inchicore.