Metal girders warped and deformed in a fire that reached temperatures of 1,000 degrees and destroyed a Luas bridge in Dublin, a report has revealed.
An inspection of the George’s Dock Bridge, which carries Luas trams in the capital, showed visible buckling of steel while concrete lost most of its structural strength.
The report by engineering firm Arup said bearings were exposed to direct fire as components melted and concrete bearing plinths were cracked and damaged in the blaze in August, 2025.
The rails that carried trams also buckled from the extraordinary heat while handrails were “badly heat-distorted”.
RM Block
The scale of the damage was so severe that it could end up being cheaper to rebuild the bridge entirely rather than trying to repair it.
The report said fixing it would be “highly complex and lengthy”.
It said the entire concrete deck would have to be removed and recast while steel girders would need to be heat-straightened or cut out and replaced.
More “severe distortion” of the metal would need bolting or welding, and all of it would need extensive stress testing.
“Arup estimated that the cost of repair could approach (or even exceed) the cost of a new bridge.”
It said repair, while technically feasible, would be slow, expensive and leave Luas with an “old structure with patchwork fixes”.
A scoping document from the National Transport Authority (NTA) said it might also be possible to temporarily strengthen the bridge with a view to a full renovation later. This would involve propping up the bridge from beneath and could have been used to get Luas services back in operation more quickly.
However, designing and installing the props would itself take time, “reducing the advantage of ‘quickly’ reopening”.
In the end, the NTA opted to build an entirely new bridge, ensuring full structural safety and a lifespan of over 100 years.
It was back open in late November, just over three months after the blaze, and in time for the busy Christmas season.
No definitive cause for the fire was provided in the documents. However, a letter from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said a gas pipeline had ruptured “and was apparently the source of the flames”.
Asked about the documents and the project, an NTA spokesman said while the final cost of the project was not known, it was estimated to be in the region of €7 million.
“TII has undertaken the demolition and replacement of the bridge structure with its contractors, and this work was funded by [us],” he said.
“Transdev, as the Luas [operator], replaced and reinstated the rail systems and funded this work themselves.
“The bridge was insured and Transdev and TII are in the process of submitting claims against the insurance policy for recovery of certain costs.”
