Trees on Dublin’s Eden Quay were removed yesterday in preparation for works on the proposed Luas bridge.
The Government recently announced the route would be one of the few public transport projects started between now and 2015.
A spokesman for Dublin City Council said “a small number” of trees were removed. Because of the location of the bridge, new tress would not replace the old ones.
The public transport-only bridge will link Marlborough Street and Hawkins Street.
The proposed bridge will complete a 'D loop' which will see the trams travel from College Green along Westmoreland Street up O’Connell Street, east along Parnell Street, south on Marlborough Street, across Eden Quay, the Liffey and Burgh Quay to Hawkins Street and back to College Green.
Line BXD, as the city centre link is known, will join the Red and Green lines and will also link the northern end of O’Connell Street with Broadstone, Phibsboro and Cabra.