Residents threatening to block Laois road over safety fears

Residents are threatening to block a road unless safety measures are taken, a councillor has claimed. 

Independent Councillor Ben Brennan asked for the safety measures on the N78 in a motion at a meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

He asked “that Laois County Council put safety measures in place in Crettyard Creamery and Geneva Stores on the N78.”

In a written response, Senior Engineer at Roads, Paul McLoughlin stated that: “Laois County Council, in consultation with TII(Transport Infrastructure Ireland) Road Safety Section, will review this location to establish what safety measures may be appropriate.”

Cllr Brennan said the issue had been raised before with the council.

“This has come up before and we are still only at review,” he remarked.  

He said the Crettyard Creamery and Geneva Stores are very busy. When people leave the businesses they come straight out on the main road where there is a 100km speed limit, he explained.  

He said there is a farmer who has 100 cows that have to cross the road every day. Cllr Brennan said there is also slow moving machinery using the road on a regular basis. He believes someone will run into the back of a tractor at the location if action isn’t taken to slow traffic down. 

Cllr Brennan said residents aren’t happy about the lack of safety measures and have threatened to block the road.  

“I am told it will happen, the road will be blocked,” Cllr Brennan told the meeting. 

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran felt Transport Infrastructure Ireland(TII) weren’t aware of the seriousness of the situation. 

“We are still waiting on the TII to come out. I think they need to give us a date,” she said. 

“I think they don’t understand how bad it is,” said Cllr Moran. 

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Fianna Fail Cllr Padraig Fleming said he fully supported Cllr Brennan in relation to the matter. He said the store and creamery are used by people far and wide with people travelling from outside the county.

The issue was discussed at the latest meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.