'Very dangerous road' included in €4.8m list of Laois roadworks
A "very dangerous road" on which schoolchildren travel, is included in a €4.8million repair list by Laois County Council for the eastern part of the county in 2023.
Roads in the Portarlington to Graiguecullen Municipal District are to get some €4.8 million of repairs this year, including the road to Knockbeg College.
One kilometre of the local road is budgeted for a €56,900 resurfacing job.
Cllr Ben Brennan welcomes the funding.
"This will repair the two sides of the road that have subsided into the ditch, back up to the cemetery. It is a very dangerous road. Over 500 kids go to that school, there is a lot of traffic on that road," he said.
Of the €4.8 million, Transport Infrastructure Ireland will give €1m to improve the N78 from Ballylehan Lower to Farnans.
Laois County Council will spend over €2m on road strengthening. Top of that budget is Glosna Road and Doyle's Cross to Shanragh Junction, a 1.5km stretch to cost €257,850.
Next is €242,000 to fix the Portlaoise road in Portarlington.
Garrymaddock will receive €226,900 of repairs.
Next is €171,900 to fix the Killeen to Killabban road, and €141,373 for the Killeen to Coolanagh regional road, totalling 1.6km of roads.
The local road in Grange / Shrule will get €123,770 of repairs, and the Ballybrittas road from Bellgrove to Rathdaire Lake €101,500.
The local road through Emo Court gets €104,000 for strengthening.
Others are in Ballyadams, Luggacurran, Kilfeacle, Aghadreen, the Lake road near Portarlington, Bartie's crossroads in Ballybrittas, Aghanure, Ballylinan, Park Ballymaddock, Treascon/ Pine Villa, and the Edenderry road in Portarlington.
Surface dressing costing €686,000 will be done on 13 roads in 2013 in East Laois: the Heath to Stradbally road, Emo Graveyard to KN road, Ballybrittas to Bellgrove, Cork road and Black Door in Stradbally, Boglane, Aghreena, Knockbeg Road, Millars Road, Vicarstown, Coolroe Castle, O'Dempsey's GAA to Rathmiles, Curraclone Church towards Vicarstown and Courtwood Bridge to Fisherstown Bridge.
There is another €877k for road maintenance and drainage in the district, €80k each to fix Killenard railway bridge and the Heath Cross and €30k for Kilfeacle bridge.
The budget was agreed at the March meeting of the municipal district.
Cllr Padraig Fleming proposed it be accepted, and Cllr Ben Brennan seconded.
"I am glad that money has come forward for Kilfeacle Bridge, which I had highlighted," Cllr Fleming said.
The Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District stretches from the north to south of East Laois, with 763km of public roads.