The first section of the new LUAS line will be delivered to Westmoreland Street this afternoon.

The tracks will start to be laid later in the month, and will form part of the connection of the Green and Red lines. A small piece of the track is already down, as it was built into the Rosie Hackett Bridge but this is the first piece of track that will be laid on a main road.

Construction commenced in June 2013 and it is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2017. The extended line will run as far as Broombridge, passing through Cabra.

To allow for works, there are changes to traffic layouts in the city centre from now until December.

LUAS says College Green will be open to all traffic every evening after 7pm and open all day on Saturdays and Sundays, and that access to car parks will be maintained.

Southside areas

Track works on the non-retail side of Grafton Street (lower) and Nassau Street will commence in early October.

Only these works on the non-retail / Trinity side of Nassau Street and Grafton Street will be permitted during the Christmas period.

There will be no reduction in footpath space on the retail side of Grafton Street and Nassau Street during this period.

All existing traffic movements from College Green through Grafton Street and Nassau Street will be retained.

The major works currently on Dawson Street will cease before the Christmas trading period – other works planned to start on Dawson Street have been postponed until after Christmas, with the exception of one limited work area at the junction with St. Stephen’s Green North.

The works at the junction of Townsend Street and Hawkins Street will be removed for the Christmas period.

Northside areas

Planned works on the roadway of O’Connell Street outside Eason’s/Penney’s will cease before 27th November (Black Friday), returning the street to 2 lanes for north-bound traffic at this location for the Christmas period.

Works on O’ Connell Bridge will commence in mid-October and will cease by mid-November for the Christmas period.

The Clery’s car park will remain accessible and a lane of traffic southbound will be maintained on Marlborough Street throughout December.

Proposed works on Parnell Street will not go ahead until after the Christmas period.

Appropriately planned and managed works will be on-going at Dominick Street Upper and Lower, Marlborough Street, Hawkins Street and Westmoreland Street during the October through December period.