Council buying Laois house at dangerous road junction

Laois County Council is buying up a private house at a dangerous road junction, with a plan to carry out works to make it safer.

A bungalow beside the junction of Green Mill Lane and Ridge Road is Portlaoise, on the market for €380,000, is in the process of being bought by the local authority, with the double aim of providing more social housing and making the notorious junction safer.

'Saratoga' on the Ridge Road in Portlaoise is a three bedroom one bathroom detached bungalow.

Its stone garden wall and high evergreen hedge is next to the narrow Green Mill Lane junction, where there is only room for one vehicle, and no footpaths.

The busy link road to the N80 Mountmellick road at Dunnes Stores, is waiting for many traffic safety measures.

A Road Safety Assessment carried out by the council in 2022, recommends eight safety measures including pedestrian crossings, footpaths and a possible truck ban at the Ridge Road junction. See full list below.

The council is being praised for its action as "a win-win" by Portlaoise Municipal District Cllr Willie Aird.

"I thank the council for their cooperation between the housing section and roads section. This is a win win situation. I had asked you at the time to have a look at this. When you are looking at it, is there any way you can make pedestrians safer as well? Maybe a walkway inside the bridge. I look forward to seeing a scheme here," he said.

He tabled a motion to the April meeting of the district, asking the council to "remove the overhanging hedge on their property on Green Mill Lane at the junction with the Ridge Road".

In reply, Director of Services Simon Walton said that the purchase is still ongoing.

"Laois County Council has recently agreed terms whereby the Council will acquire a property at the junction of Ridge Road and Greenmill Lane. Conveyancing is ongoing regarding the transaction. Once concluded, safety related works will be arranged," he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley seconded the motion.

"We had many complaints about the hedge overhanging. I had a motion regarding the safety audit. I hope now you can implement some of the recommendations," she said.

The recommendations for the road are: 

1: Improve visibility at the junction of Greenmill Lane and N80 and Ridge Road and at roadside accesses along Greenmill Lane.

2: Provide traffic calming along the road between the N80 and Triogue Manor.

3: Provide raised controlled pedestrian crossings on Greenmill Lane and uncontrolled pedestrian crossings at accesses off Greenmill Lane.

4: Provide cycle facilities on Greenmill Lane, ensure facilities tie in conveniently and safely with the paths along the Triogue River.

5: Provide a footpath along eastern (Ridge Road) end of Greenmill Lane, with a crossing to the footpath on Ridge Road, however this problem should be considered in conjunction with associated issues relating to this section of road and the solution should deal holistically with all deficiencies identified on this section of road.

6: Consider provision of an alternative cycle/pedestrian route through the Triogue Linear Park onto the Ridge Road.

7: Prohibit HGVs by placing a 3.5T limit on Greenmill Lane at the east side of the access to Dunnes Stores deliveries entrance and at the junction with the Ridge Road.

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8: Reconfigure tactile paving and carry out repairs to footpaths and utility covers.