Calls for NTA to ‘publish the 95% of Cork Luas route that's agreed’

A CANDIDATE for the local elections next year has called for work done to date on establishing the emerging preferred route of Cork city’s Luas to be published.

The call comes as the spend on the major infrastructure project has now exceeded €2m.

In an update provided to the Labour Party, the National Transport Authority (NTA) said that work on identifying a precise route for the proposed Luas light rail transit system, which will run from Ballincollig in the west to Mahon Point in the east, “is progressing well”.

“In discussions with Cork City Council this summer, it was agreed that some additional work should be undertaken in relation to the city centre section prior to commencing the public consultation stage,” said the NTA.

“Transport Infrastructure Ireland, in collaboration with the NTA, are now undertaking that additional work, in consultation with Cork City Council. That task is likely to take a couple of further months and it is now anticipated that the emerging preferred route for Luas Cork will be published in the new year.”

The NTA informed the party that, as of last month, total costs on the project amount to just over €2,082,479.

The emerging preferred route had been expected to be revealed before the end of 2022; however, this was delayed.

Commenting last December, the NTA defended the delay, saying that the options selection process “is a detailed and complex process of considering all possible options for the routing of the Luas in the various sections between Ballincollig and Mahon”.

The emerging preferred route was then expected to be published in July this year, but was further stalled to facilitate additional work on the city centre section.

In August, The Echo reported that information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that stakeholders were considering a further Luas option through the city centre, and this option would require demolition work.

Following the latest NTA update, Labour candidate for the city’s south-east ward, Peter Horgan, reiterated his call for documents relating to work on the emerging preferred route to be published.

“It’s vitally important that we see the route published, even with the proviso that there’s additional work to be done in the city centre,” said Mr Horgan.

“We should plough on with examining all the other aspects of the route and allow that section in the city be published at a later date. We run the risk now in an election year of this becoming a political football. Publish the 95% of the route that’s agreed.”