Residents 'in limbo' over route of Luas extension to Cherrywood

Residents of Brewery Road and Leopardstown Road in South Co Dublin have complained that plans for the Luas extension may see trams passing their homes at bedroom window level.

However, CI╔'s Light Rail Project Office which recently confirmed that it has agreed to build the extension of the line from Sandyford Industrial Estate to Cherrywood has said the bridge option is just one of a number being considered as part of the public consultation process.

Residents, on the other hand, claim that now the public consultation process is complete they are in "limbo land" over whether the bridge will be included.

At issue is the route of the extension which is to go from Sandyford Industrial Estate to the new Central Park development, for which provision for a section of the route was a condition of planning permission.

Local resident Ms Muriel Bolger said the community was in a difficult position because of the uncertainty. "We are in favour of Luas, we all want it, but a bridge at this height would pass at the level of our fascia boards, all the passengers would be looking directly into the second level of our houses," she said.

In a statement, the Light Rail Project Office pointed to the Government's commitment to an integrated over-ground and underground rail transport system for Dublin, much of which was to be extensions of the current Luas schemes.

In line with this approach, the office says it has considered a number of route options for the Cherrywood extension. Option A involves the alignment leaving the reservoir at the Sandyford stop and heading south-easterly, crossing the Brewery Road/Leopardstown Road roundabout and passing to the east of Leopardstown racecourse.

Option B involves the alignment leaving the Sandyford station at the reservoir and following the alignment of Blackthorn Avenue through the industrial estate, through Central Park and on to Ballyogan Road.

One variation would be to bring the line to the Leopardstown Road/Brewery Road roundabout before effectively doubling back to Central Park and on to Ballyogan Road.

The route is to be decided within weeks as it must be contained in the Environmental Impact Assessment and briefing documents to be submitted to a light rail inquiry, which the Light Rail Project Office says it wants to announce before the end of the year.

The timescale for the line is that work should commence on the opening of the Sandyford line in 2003 and would be completed by about 2006.

By that time the South Eastern Motorway should be in place and the proposed Wyattville interchange open.

The new roads and the Luas line will open hundreds of acres between Carrickmines and Loughlinstown to commercial and residential development.