The Cruagh Wood Greenway has been completed and is now opened to the public. Located in Stepaside, Co Dublin, the greenway and associated boardwalk structure form part of a ‘feeder route’ on the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan.

Sustainable modes of transport

Situated between Clay Farm Phase One and Cruagh Wood residential estates, the path reduces the travel distance between Cruagh Wood and the Leopardstown Valley Green Line Luas tram stop on Ballyogan Road from 3.4km to less than 1km, encouraging more sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling.

The greenway – designed by Atkins – which began construction in August 2019, is 4m wide and 850m in length, and includes a 90m long boardwalk structure which boasts bespoke stainless steel handrails and a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) deck.

The greenway also features a dimmable public lighting system that minimises disruption to surrounding wildlife. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council conditioned the planning permission of the Clay Farm development to allow for the construction of the greenway.

Safe route for residents

The new greenway will provide a safe route for residents of Cruagh Wood, Stepaside Park and Stepaside Village, to the LUAS Green Line at Leopardstown Valley, as well as Leopardstown Shopping Centre, local schools and the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus.

Gary Walsh, DLRCC senior executive engineer, said: “I am delighted to see the official opening of this new greenway route. This scheme will provide a valuable addition to sustainable travel infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and the local community as a whole.

"The benefits that greenways can deliver to communities are considerable in terms of climate change, economic development and leisure amenity. I would like to thank Atkins for their technical expertise in helping to deliver this project successfully.”

Recently, Atkins was also commissioned to design a 250m extension to the Cruagh greenway, through Cruagh Manor and Wingfield estates to link into Stepaside Park estate.

Works on this extension commenced in November 2020 and are due to be completed by the end of December 2020. A greenway is to be constructed separately by the developer of the Stepaside Park estate to meet this extension, thus completing a greenway from Ballyogan Road to Stepaside Village.

Atkins has also provided design services on other greenway projects in Ireland, including the Royal Canal Greenway, Boyne Greenway and the Baldoyle to Portmarnock Greenway.