Following substantial works to extend the M7 to Limerick, by the end of 2010, the motorway replaced all of the old single-carriageway N7 route which is now designated as R445.

(From this junction the M7/N7 is 3 lanes in each direction until it intersects with the M50 (Dublin's ring-motorway)) The M7 was constructed in stages between 1983 and 2010 to replace the old national route which ran (in order from east to west) through the villages and towns of Naas (1983), Newbridge (1993), Kildare (December 2003), Monasterevin (November 2004), Portlaoise (29 May 1997), Mountrath and Borris-in-Ossory (both 28 May 2010), Roscrea, Moneygall and Toomevara (all 22 December 2010), Nenagh (single carriageway, original bypass, July 2000) and Birdhill (28 September 2010) and the city of Limerick (May 2004).

To allow the bypass to cut through 3.5 km of a major aquifer, an impermeable layer made up of a Bituminous geomembrane and compacted clay was installed underneath the road.

While a motorway reservation still exists, it is now unlikely to be built, having been superseded by the widening of the N7 between Newlands Cross and Naas to three lanes and the grade separation of this section.

[5] This scheme was originally to be built as a high-quality dual carriageway (HQDC), but it was re-designated motorway by Statutory Instrument on 17 July 2008.

In June 2007, construction commenced on a 28 km (17 mi) section of the M7 motorway between Portlaoise and Castletown, which opened on 28 May 2010 and is subject to a toll north of the M7-M8 interchange.

In March 2008, construction commenced on a 36 km section (22 miles) of the M7 route between Castletown, County Laois and Nenagh, tying into the Portlaoise-Castletown scheme mentioned above at the Borris-in-Ossory junction.

In 2017 work started on the widening of 13.5 km of the former two-lane dual carriageway to D3M standard between the Maudlin's interchange (J9) and the M7/M9 junction (J11).

The Midway Food Court is operated by Applegreen and contains a Burger King, Subway and Chopstix noodle bar, as well as a Maldron hotel.

The Portlaoise Plaza was opened in July 2020, despite objection from Petrogas,[9] and consists of a Supermac's, Papa John's Pizza, Spar and Bewley's.

Barack Obama Plaza, an independently owned service area, opened at junction 23 on the outskirts of Moneygall, County Offaly (however the service area itself is in County Tipperary) and includes a Spar store, a Supermac's, Papa John's Pizza, Mac's Place (a deli) and Bewley's coffee.

[15] There are several examples along the M7 On 30 September 2008, the Irish National Roads Authority released the second tranche of potential motorway redesignations.

On 10 July 2009, ministerial approval was given for 10 km of the Limerick southern-ring and the N7/N20 interchange (and all relevant slip-roads) to be redesignated to motorway status.

[23] If various other schemes on the N7 are to be redesignated motorway (e.g., the section from Dublin to Naas), the route could reach up to 220 km in length.