1971: A circumferential route to the west of the city, from the Belfast road (N1) to the Bray road (N11), is proposed by the Dublin Transportation Study (DTS).

1973: Dublin County Council formally adopts the DTS and gives its approval in principle for the proposed bypass motorway, including the Southern Cross route.

1977: An outline design for the motorway, which was subsequently referred to as the "C-ring" and now known as the M50, is approved by the county council.

1983: The route is finally included in the Dublin County Development Plan and county council officials begin the process of preparing a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

1988: New European regulations require an environmental impact statement (EIS) for all motorway schemes, including an outline of the main options considered.

1990: Dublin County Council publishes an EIS for the Southern Cross route and makes a motorway CPO that includes additional land to replace College Road, Rathfarnham.

1991: A public inquiry, presided over by an engineering inspector from the Department of the Environment, is held to consider several objections to the proposed scheme.

1992: The scheme is approved by Michael Smith, then Minister for the Environment, but his order is challenged by a number of landowners seeking a High Court judicial review.

1994: The legal challenge by Major T.B. McDowell, chairman of the Irish Times Trust; Edward Fitzachry; and the Select Vestry of Whitechurch is settled out of court on undisclosed terms.

1996: A further legal challenge to the alignment of the Sandy ford leg of the motorway by Pat Fitzgerald, lessee of the local Maxol filling station, is settled, again on undisclosed terms.

1997: Tenders are invited for the construction of the route in two phases - Balrothery to Ticknock and Ticknock to Ballinteer. Ascon is appointed as the main contractor.

1998: Construction finally gets under way.

2001: Road opens.