Laois residents 'up in arms' over road that's 'a tragedy waiting to happen'

Laois County Council has been called on to implement safety measures on a dangerous stretch of road between Portlaoise and Stradbally on the busy N80 which it has been the scene of a spate of recent accidents and also claimed a life during the Electric Picnic in recent years.

Remarkably, land was purchased with taxpayers money some 20 years ago to devise a permanent solution but nothing every happened.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy, Fianna Fáil, raised the issue at a recent meeting with county council officials. He said he is concerned about the section after the Rock of Dunamase where the road narrows and features some sharp bends.

"It's extremely dangerous. There were three accidents there in the last month one one was three cars," he said.

He said drivers do not realise the change in the type of road. Cllr McEvoy said residents want action because they are faced with the dangers regularly.

"The residents are up in arms over it," he said.

He welcomed plans prepared by the council's roads section to deal with vegetation on a bad corner. However he said this will only partly address the issue for cars turning off the road. He said short term action is needed.

"What I am suggesting in the interim period, until we can get to the TII out to look at that road, put a flashing speed sign on top of the hill, so that will focus their minds to slow down. 

"There was a man killed there during the Electric Picnic a few years ago and there is another tragedy waiting to happen," he said.

In terms of finding a long term solution, he said land was purchased by the NRA now Transport Infrastructure Ireland along the road up to 20 years ago to build a new stretch. Cllr McEvoy said traffic on the road has only increased since then.

"It's crazy that they bought land off 20 years ago but still haven't done anything with it," he said.

He asked if the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland would meet with the residents.

"They are gravely concerned at this stage. They need to be reassured that something is going to happen there because they're terrified," he said.

Cllr McEvoy also suggested that the speed limit on the stretch could be cut to improve the saftey.

Cllr PJ Kelly, Fine Gael, backed his colleague. He believed that land was purchased to widen the road and remove blind spots.

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Cllr Aisling Moran, Fine Gael, cautioned councillors not to expect any significant changes soon. She said that TII told councillors recently that there was no money for such projects in 2022.

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Cllr Padraig Fleming, Fianna Fáil, said the issue was 'very serious'. He said the council should bring the specific stretch to the attention of TII which should see these locations in person.