The route was legislated in 2006 as commencing along the
R835 near
Lucan (
Adamstown), and running south via
Ballyowen Distributor Road and
Grange Castle Road to
Kingswood Interchange on the
N7 (Junction 2). This forms "Phase 1" of the planned outer
ring road (the
M50 motorway being an inner ring road which should not be confused with the
Inner Orbital Route, an Inner Ring in the inner City). Phase 2, which opened in December 2006, commences at the
N4 road east of Lucan, passing through Ballyowen, with a junction for Adamstown, before linking up with the existing road at Grange Castle. Almost the entire route is a
dual carriageway, apart from the bridge over the N4. From the N4 to
Adamstown, there is only one traffic lane and a bus lane in each direction (As the carriageways are separated by a
jersey barrier this is still technically a dual carriageway). From Adamstown to Kingswood, the route has two lanes and a bus lane in each direction. However all junctions, other than the N4 junction and N7 flyover, are at-grade, and the median is rather narrow. The term
Outer Ring Road should not be confused with
Outer Orbital Route, which refers to an indicative plan to construct a second motorway bypass ring around Dublin (after the M50), further out from the city. Nor should it be confused with the existing
Outer Orbital Route which circles the inner city in the
Dublin City Council area, outside the
Inner Orbital Route. Phase 3 of the road opened in July 2008, from the
Kingswood Interchange (N7 J2) to the
N81 Tallaght Bypass in
Tallaght. This road was half a new build, half an upgrade of Cheeverstown Road and the junction of Cheeverstown Road and the N81. This section also included a provision for
Luas Line A1 to cross it (tracks in the roadway). This facilitated works on the line, which began in February 2009, to proceed without having to make any further alterations to the road. ==Potential upgrades==