Yellow box to ease traffic woes of large Laois housing estate

Residents in a big Laois housing estate are “relying on the good will of drivers” to enter and exit onto the busy road off which it was built. 

A recently completed large housing estate in Portlaoise on a busy regional road is to get a yellow box painted at its entrance.

Maryborough Village estate is a privately built estate, with over 400 houses that were built over the past 20 years.

It exits onto the R445 Mountrath Road in Portlaoise, which also links the town to the M7 motorway and the IDA business park.

Independent Cllr Tommy Mulligan has highlighted the problems faced by Maryborough Village residents driving in and out of their homes.

“I know that they are finding it very difficult to get in and out of the Maryborough Village there particularly during peak times.

“They are relying on the good will of drivers to get in and out, and that can be rare at peak time traffic.

“It’s also a safety issue with cars trying to edge out. This has been coming up at residents association meetings for a considerable length of time,” he said.

He tabled a motion to the March meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

It asks for a yellow boxes to be painted on the road at the entrance.

Portlaoise MD office has agreed to install the road marking.

The rule of yellow boxes is that drivers must not enter the box unless they can immediately drive out of it, to prevent obstruction of traffic.

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“The residents will be delighted at that. It’s great it’s being addressed now,” Cllr Mulligan said.

The motion was seconded by Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley.

“I fully support the motion, it’s a very built up area as well.

"You have Bellingham housing estate as well across the road,” Cllr Dwane Stanley noted.