Historic sites to be raised at Luas inquiry

The presence of significant archeological remains along the proposed route of the Luas extension to Cherrywood is likely to be raised at a public inquiry on the route which opens in Dublin today.

The Railway Procurement Agency is seeking permission to build a 7.5km (4.6 miles)extension to the Luas Green line at a €200 million estimated cost.

While most of the Green route is built on the line of the former Harcourt Street railway line, the proposed alignment of the Sandyford to Carrickmines section has been shifted away from Foxrock village towards the more populous environs of Ballyogan and Leopardstown.

However the route passes over or close to listed national monuments, about which the agency was advised in a report commissioned from McHugh Consultants.

The McHugh report identified a watermill, earthworks and a settlement at Ballyogan Road. It also identified the Carrickmines area as another site of archaeological interest.

Because of the archaeological sites associated with the Ballyogan road option, the McHugh report concluded that Luas should utilise the old Harcourt Street railway line. However this was rejected by the agency.

The preferred route of the Cherrywood extension is from Sandyford across Leopardstown Road at its junction with Brewery Road and into the Central Park business campus.

From there the route crosses the M50 at Glencairn, turning south to the Gallops housing estate. It continues along Ballyogan Road past Leopardstown Valley and Ballyogan Wood before crossing the M50 again in the vicinity of the Leopardstown racecourse and on to Carrickmines. From there it will pass close to Brennanstown and Loughlinstown and continue to Cherrywood.

Maps produced by the agency indicate 11 stops and a park-and-ride site is proposed for Carrickmines. The target date for passenger services is 2010.

Meanwhile the agency has also advertised for tenders for test drilling on three routes for metro north, as the Dublin Airport metro is to be known.

Tomorrow it will launch a public consultation on the three routes, although the Government has already indicated its preference for a central route from O'Connell Street via the Mater hospital and Ballymun to the airport and on to Swords.