The much-delayed Clontarf to City Centre Bus and Cycle Route project is now nearing completion, with work largely finished on all sections of the project and major works confined parts of a 500 metre section where the outbound cycle track has yet-to-be opened.
As the project started in March 2022, a Dublin City Council press release said: “The project is scheduled for completion in Q1 2024”. Late last year, this was extended to Q2 2024. In May of this year, this website reported how the completion date has now been extended into at least late Q3 2024.
This finishing date has now slipped to Q4, but the end is in sight, with work finished or almost finished on all sections of the project.
It is understood that a project launch event is being planned for later in the month, but firm arrangements have yet to be fully set. Snagging works and other minor work, such as planting, are likely to continue after the end of the month.
The project is much more than a cycle route and includes a full boundary-to-boundary street renewal, including in-depth road resurfacing, new footpaths throughout, upgraded bus stops, new greenery and extensive replacement of water mains and other utilities.
The opened section of the cycle track is already being heavily used, even when IrishCycle.com visited it this Wednesday during the midterm week.
This website also observed children on bicycles and people with mobility scooters using the cycle track — users of the new infrastructure who were not typically seen using the bus lane before the cycle track was built.
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Work still ongoing
Because of different bits of work on the footpath and cycle path, the outbound cycle path is closed for around 500 metres between Edge’s Corner, at the junction of Fairview Strand, to the junction of the Malahide Road.
The cycle track is at different stages of completion along this 500 metres, including being yet-to-be surfaced and currently being used as a temporary footpath as the footpath works are ongoing.
The largest single worksite appears to be at a junction at Fairview and Marino Mart outside Joseph’s CBS Secondary School (pictured below). On Wednesday evening, this appeared to be near surface-level work, with no signs of large trenches previously visible along the route.
The last inbound section to be finished, the stretch approaching Connolly Station, is almost open. Very little appears to be needed before this is opened. It may be opened by the time this article is published.
As this website has reported extensively, the project was approved by councillors in 2017 with a margin of 42 to 10 votes. Since then, it has been subject to a string of misinformation, including that it’s “just a cycle route” when it includes a full-scale street and road reconstruction and water main relaying on both sides of the street.
Other sections which are nearly finished:
Is there a date for the reinstatement of the North Strand bus stops?
Thanks for the update and photos. A lot of black-tarmac cycle track in there – the reddish surface looks much nicer, makes the cycle lane stand out and breaks up both the sea of tarmac, and probably slightly alleviates the heat island effect. I wonder why it’s not being used on sections. Cost?
The project was too far advanced to be covered by the new red asphalt standard but cost and availability of supply were the main factors previously, see: https://irishcycle.com/2024/01/26/clontarf-to-city-centre-cycle-tracks-will-only-be-red-at-junctions/
The project is great but the implementation of the cycle lane in front of Howth Road National School is terrible, for cyclists and for primary students alike. The footpath is so narrow and straight into the cycle lane. An accident waiting to happen despite the warnings and complaints to DCC. I really hope no one gets seriously injured.