Laois cycling lanes planned for ‘blackspot’ Mountmellick and Ballyfin roads in Portlaoise

A preliminary design has already been prepared, they confirmed, speaking this May at a meeting of the Portlaoise Municipal District.

However it will depend on getting state funding, and public backing.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley welcomed the progress, after she tabled a motion asking for cycle lanes on the Ballyfin Road.

“The Ballyfin Road and Mountmellick roads are a blackspot for cyclists. There’s a huge problem with speed on the Ballyfin Road. It’s a big wide road. The new lanes will narrow the width which in itself I hope will slow traffic. Calming is needed too.

Her motion also asked the council to replace a broken fence along the ring road from the Ballyfin roundabout to Fairgreen.

To that, the council replied that the fence is the responsibility of the landowner.

Cllr Dwane Stanley was not quite so happy with that answer.

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“Three cars have left and gone into the field. There is people walking that road the whole time. The landowner has spent a fortune putting in an electric wire fence, hundreds of metres of it.

“It was the council who erected the fence, not the landowner. There are cattle in the field, this is a safety issue, there is a drop into the field and a huge volume of traffic,” she argued.

Her motion was seconded by Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald.

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“I agree, and on the need for traffic calming on the Ballyfin Road. I’ve seen some speed there. It’s a big wide road, people think they can take off,” she said.

Laois County Council’s roads section say that the preliminary design for cycle lanes on the Ballyfin Road is a future phase of the Triogue Way Scheme, and includes Greenmill Lane and the Mountmellick Road.

The scheme is aimed at offering an eco friendly safe alternative to cars in the town particularly for school traffic. Portlaoise is the pilot Low Carbon town in the National Development Plan, with access to special funding for the scheme.

The Triogue scheme will eventually give an off road pedestrian and cycle route along the Triogue River, from the Ballyfin Road right through the town centre and two public parks to link to the Summerhill schools district. It is still under construction.