Roadworks ahead for 'deadly dangerous' Laois road

Traffic delays are ahead on a main road in Laois as multi million roadworks continue to try and make it safer. 

A major roadwords job on the "treacherous" stretch of N80 road between Portlaoise to Mountmellick is getting nearing to a start date.

Some 5km of the bog road will be repaired between Kyletalesha landfill and Mountmellick.

Laois County Council Director of Services for Roads Simon Walton gave the latest update at the March council meeting.

"We got tenders in last week. I hope to see something there in four to six weeks regarding a commencement date. It is nearly 5km of work to put right what a councillor refers to as a patchwork quilt. 

The job will stop short of a junction that has become a scene for multiple accidents, at Derrycloney in Mountmellick. Increased traffic is turning at the junction to avoid the bottleneck of Mountmellick town centre. 

However there is no plan to upgrade it.

"Regarding Derrycloney, there has been a long standing interaction with the TII," Mr Walton said.

Councillors had described the danger of the road to be resurfaced.

"From Kyletalesha to Derrycloney Bridge, when will that work start? It is the most treacherous road in county Laois. You can see all the fatalities on that road," Cllr Willie Aird said.

Cllr Paddy Bracken agrees.

"The road is like a patchwork quilt, it's a deadly dangerous section. It's badly needed," he said.

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Transport Infrastructure Ireland has set aside €2.5 million for what is Phase 2 of works on the road. The national road that has been described as not fit for purpose by the CEO of Laois County Council was allocated €2.2 million for repairs in 2022.

Four major crashes including a pedestrian death have occurred on the stretch of road since 2021.