The €30 million plan to fix Laois roads this year

Laois County Council has revealed an extensive €30 million plan to fix some of the 2,500km of roads across the length and breadth of the county in 2025, but storm damage and rising costs will take a chunk of value out of the money.

Director of Services Simon Walton says "significant resources" will be targeted on winter repairs.

"Similar to 2024, winter weather conditions, including snow and ice plus Storm Éowyn, provide for a scenario whereby Roadworks Scheme 2025 is presented against the backdrop of a challenging winter for the road network, with an upturn in potholes and general storm damage," he said.

So what will get done in Laois in 2025?

Almost a quarter of the funds will go on repairing 60km of the regional and local road network.

Two pieces of the former National roads now R445 will be strengthened and overlayed, at Pike of Rushall costing €300k and approaching Monasterevin costing €400k.

There will be €563.5k spent on urgent repairs to nine bridges, damaged by weather and collisions. They are in Garryhinch, Spink, Shanahoe, Ballyfin, Inchacooley, Rathdowney, Baylough and the old rail bridge in Colt.

€425k will go on climate change adaptation on eight local roads including the Ridge Road Portlaoise, Rathmoyle, Levally in Rathdowney, Boston in Mountrath, Cloncannon in Mountmellick, and €35,000 to design a flood relief scheme in the Grange housing estate in Portlaoise. 

Safety Improvement Works costing €395,000 will be carried out in 13 areas, including at Ballybrophy, Stradbally, Knock School, Derrynaseera, Mountrath, Sheffield Cross and Ballycarnan Cross in Portlaoise.

There is €100,000 from the Dept of Transport specifically to scope out traffic relief measures in Portarlington. 

A handful of the 39 community groups waiting for cash to fix their local roads will be funded with €390,000 for the Community Involvement in Roadworks Scheme. 34 of the 39 are in the Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municpal District, and just one is in Portarlington Graiguecullen district.

More popular is the Local Improvement Scheme, where 88 valid applications are awaiting cash to fix private lanes to their homes and farms. There is €470,536 for the LIS in 2025, again with 58 of the applications in the Mountmellick district.

The roadworks cash includes €550,000 for public streetlight electricity bills, with 9,573 lights in Laois and growing. 

For lists of roadworks in the three Municipal Districts of Portlaoise, Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory, and Portarlington Graiguecullen, see more on Leinster Express /Laois Live.

Almost half of the €30m is coming from the Department of Transport, which is over €800,000 more than 2024. The National Transport Authority has allocated another €3.5million for Active Travel, with half a million for bus stops, the rest on their own projects in Laois. Laois County Council will put €5.5 million, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland's allocations not yet announced. The Department of Community and Rural Affairs will give almost half a million to fund Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) laneways.