A monumental mistake would be made if the proposed Luas extension went past the entrance to the busy Sandyford industrial estate as it would cause gridlock in the surrounding area and on the M50, Olivia Mitchell TD said yesterday.
The Fine Gael deputy made a submission to the inquiry into the proposed Luas extension of the Green Line from Sandyford to Cherrywood.
The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) proposes that the Luas pass by the entrance to the Sandyford industrial estate on the Leopardstown Road side.
Ms Mitchell said 24,000 people worked in the estate, and there were also plans for other developments, including 3,000 housing units, stores and proposals for a multistorey block.
"I don't think the Celtic Tiger is so strong that we can afford to effectively gridlock the estate. Businesses have greater mobility needs than one fixed line," she said.
Having the Luas going through this route would leave the estate effectively landlocked, she said.
"This will cause a buildup on the Leopardstown roundabout, the estate and the surrounding area, including the motorway itself," Ms Mitchell warned.
If a metro underground system was not on the cards, she said, she would suggest a tunnel for that part of the Luas.
"It would be a monumental mistake to allow this crossing, and in years to come we will all be asking 'How did we let this happen?' " Ms Mitchell said.
She added later that the results would be much worse than at the Red Cow roundabout.
The RPA is seeking permission to almost double the length of the Green Line. It will follow a diversion around Leopardstown racecourse to serve the The Gallops and Ballyogan.
It will cross the M50 between Central Park and the rear of Glencairn House but will go back across the M50 between Ballyogan Wood and the racecourse.
Green TD Eamon Ryan said he was supportive of the development but asked the inquiry headed by the inspector, James Connolly SC, to include in its report anything that might assist in upgrading the line to metro status.
He said he supported Ms Mitchell in that there would be traffic problems in future at the industrial estate crossing. The trams would be coming at three- minute intervals which would mean 1½ minutes each way, he said. The only solution was a metro.