LUAS update (Cherrywood extension)

An update on the LUAS Green Line extension to Cherrywood in South County Dublin.

You can click on any photo to see the fullsize version.

Above is the new bridgework just put in place on the Brewery Road roundabout at Sandyford.

While we’re at it, let’s have a look at Brewery Road as it is now, compared to 28 years ago.

The upper of the two photos above shows the view at the top end of Brewery Road, looking towards the roundabout. Below is the exact same view taken in 1980 – note that despite the dramatic changes, the trees on the lefthand side have survived.

The lower photo shows how rural Brewery Road was in the early 1980s. The bus is a CIE bodied Leyland Atlantean “standard D”  (D396) of the type typical to the 86 route at the time (although this individual vehicle would more normally have been found on the 48A).

In those days the 86 still ran all day at a roughly half-hourly frequency, from Cabinteely to College Street.

The photo was not taken in the summer months – buses carrying the Mother’s Pride advert always had it replaced by an advert for Nimble “for summer slimness” in mid May, with Mother’s Pride returning in September.

Back to today, the above picture shows the extensive works on Ballyogan Road, the LUAS will run on the righthand side of the picture, while the greatly improved road will be on the left.

Glenamuck Road, seen from the bottom of the hill (i.e. the M50 is behind us) looking up towards the railway bridge. This road remains closed while the new bridge for LUAS is put in place, and the road itself is being totally transformed from narrow and twisty with no verge or footpath, to a much wider road with paths and cycle lanes.

Officially, Glenamuck Road is supposed to reopen to traffic on May 1st 2008, but I am not wholly convinced that the work can be finished in time. Here we see the new LUAS bridge which the road will run over.

Above the bridge, looking towards Carrickmines Cross, we can get an idea what the new road will look like when finished.

At Cherrywood, the major road crossing has now been put in place.

The end of the line, at Cherrywood Business Park, will see the elevated station named as Bride’s Glen.

Glenamuck Road & LUAS extension

A look at some of the construction work along the Cherrywood LUAS extension.

Click on any thumbnail to see fullsize picture

Work continues at a great pace on the extension of the LUAS Green Line southwards to Cherrywood.

I took a trip around the area along with Donnybrook Observer on Saturday to look at the works, particularly around Carrickmines and Tully.

The picture above shows the construction of the new road bridge over the line on Glenamuck Road, where the old Carrickmines Station was located (incidently, this is still shown as a stage point on Dublin Bus route 63, 50 years after it closed!).

The road has been closed to traffic and the 63 rerouted for some months now as not only is this new bridge being constructed, but the entire road is being remade, and on reopening will no longer be the narrow twisty lane barely wide enough for two buses to pass – it will be full width road, with cycle-lanes and wide footpaths.

The diversion of the 63 is supposed to end in April, but as shown above there is still a lot to do, so I believe it will run on quite a bit longer.

Considerable drainage work will be needed here, where the trackbed of the old Harcourt Street line has been flooded for years, and the current works are surrounded by standing water.

Above is the same location, looking in the other direction, northwards along the old rail alignment where the LUAS line will run.

The works near Tully Cross, seen above, look interesting. the picture is taken from the tiny back road that leads off Brennanstown Road, up towards the ruined church and cross. We are looking northwest, towards Carrickmines.

At this location the old railway line ran through fields which for the most part still exist, and in theory construction here should be simple. However, as can be seen, a considerable cutting and roofing over of the line is under construction – presumably developments are to take place around and over the line at this point.

Finally, although not part of this stage of the LUAS scheme, work has already started on clearing trackbed for the extension on from Cherrywood to Bray. This uses the former Harcourt Street alignment for a short section across the old Cherrywood Viaduct, which crosses a deep valley known as Bride’s Glen. Tree cutting and preparing of the ground commenced a month or so ago, and here we are looking (through a secure fence) out onto the top of the stone viaduct. The power lines currently running across it will have to be removed I guess.