The photo above shows two trams descending from the roof of the underpass on the original alingment with the point for the turnback siding in the foreground. To rebuild the roof the trams would have to run alongside the building to the right of the photo.
By August 2007 new track was in place in the street and was ready for connecting. Here a tram crosses the new junction at the Poelaert end of the section.
At Louisa the tram stop had been relocated so that new lines could be laid, here the final connection piece rests awaiting suspension of the tram service at 2100. By 0500 the next morning trams were running on the new alignment (below)! A week later the same process allowed the other line to be opened.
Instead of the reversing stub a crossover was installed on the new section of line, but to allow lay-over an elaborate turning circle was installed in the cobbled square at Poelaert. The existing twin through lines remained, bearing right from Louisa and down the street towards the Palace but the new loop ran round the outside. All the overhead poles were fixed on the road-side with a central suspended ring holding all the span wires.
Work on the rebuilding takes place behind the car showing the severed track in the foreground.
By October 2009 the rebuilding work had been completed and the tramway reinstated. Almost as quickly as it appeared, the turning circle at Poelaert was removed without trace and the street track has been lifted - the only evidence is the section across the roundabout. The tram stop has not been finished yet, so cars are loading on the new tunnel roof.
Trams now run across the new tunnel roof:
A double slip junction provides access to the new two track reversing stub.
And short working cars are passed by 'through' cars
It seems quite amazing that a new tramway alignment can be contstructed through a roundabout and along a busy slip road to a new turning circle in the middle of a smart square and then simply be removed two years later! 