Confirmation of new ramps are a 'good day for The Swan' in Laois

Ramps are set to be installed in The Swan after a campaign by residents and public representatives to slow traffic down because of the risk to life.

Confirmation of the installation of the traffic calming measures was confirmed at the recent Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting where a motion had been tabled by Cllr Padraig Fleming, who is a native of the village.

“Laois County Council will be installing two traffic calming ramps on the R430 in the The Swan Village,” said Mr Philip McVeigh, Senior Executive Engineer.

“The works have now been procured and the ramps, including upgrades to adjacent street lights and road signage, will be installed in the coming weeks,” said Mr McVeigh.

In his motion, Cllr Fleming, (pictured inset) called for the measures due to ‘continuous fast speeds” through the village. Cllr Fleming welcomed the announcement as a “good day for The Swan.

“This is absolutely fantastic news.

“It is great news for the residents,” said the councillor who has highlighted speed through the village on a number of occasions.

“This should make a major difference in making traffic slow down on both sides of the village,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil representative added that more measures may be needed to slow traffic at the school crossing. He said this must be traffic lights which traffic can see clearly.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy said similar measures are on the way for Timahoe.

“I really am looking forward to seeing the reaction of people doing 70 or 80 kmph going over the ramps,” he said.

He described speeding through villages as an ‘absolute disgrace’. He said the same people who travel through The Swan at speed also travel through Timahoe over the limit because it is the same road that links the two villages.

“It is the same people who are speeding the whole time. They will learn their lesson very quick,” he said.

Cllr Fleming also claimed that gardaí had caught motorists doing 104 kmph in the 80 kmph zone recently.

Cllr Ben Brennan also welcomed the measures.

“The only way to control traffic is ramps,” he said.

He advised that another junction in the village could be addressed when the work is being done.

Cllr Aisling Moran said warnings about speed on roads need to be made more visual.

She repeated a previous proposal for roads to be red.