 In December 2007 a 4 km stretch at the southern end of the road terminating in Kilkenny city centre was replaced by a new road forming the northeastern section of the Kilkenny ring road and terminating at the N10 national primary road.The N10 forms the southeastern section of the ring road which opened in 1983.On 28 May, 2010, a section of the single carriageway N8 road between Durrow and Portlaoise was redesignated the N77 when the final section of the M8 motorway opened to traffic.