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18 Oct 2025
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18 Oct 2025
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Traffic at the Rock National School. Photo: Leinster Express
A busy regional Laois road is about to get a speed ramp as part of new safety measures at a primary school where children's safety is a long term concern.
Laois County Council is about to start 'low-cost safety improvement works' at the Rock National School, on the R442 road between Mountmellick and Emo.
The road is a main route between the M7 and the west, with heavy traffic including trucks mostly exceeding the school's 30kmph speed limit, causing safety concern at school drop-off and collection times.
The Director of Services for Roads Simon Walton confirmed the details to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
"Low-Cost Safety Improvement Works will take place at the Rock NS in the coming weeks will see the installation of speed ramps, verge works and installation of additional signage and road markings.
"This work supports the safety of the students at The Rock NS," he said.
The project followed discussions between management of the Rock NS and the Residents Committee at the Rock.
There will be new public lighting, line-marking, and more signage along with a new path and a speed ramp.
Laois County Council say that these works will commence within the next two weeks, in October.
The Rock National School which has some 200 pupils successfully campaigned for a new footpath connected to Mountmellick, to allow for safe active travel.
Laois councillors have in the past described the speed of passing traffic at The Rock NS as "absolutely crazy".
The area is in the Portlaoise Municipal District.
Read also: Portlaoise estates getting more saltbins for winter but no extra Laois roads gritted
“The speed on the road is absolutely crazy…we’ve (the council) done an awful lot in that area to reduce the speed but unfortunately cars are still being driven at enormous speed,” Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said in 2024, when asking for a speed trap van to be parked in the area.
Gardaí had agreed to carry out the speed checks back in 2024.
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