Call to alter 'lethal' pedestrian crossings in Laois town

Laois County  Council was called on to alter a ‘lethal’ pedestrian crossing in Portarlington.

Sinn Fein Cllr Aidan Mullins asked for the changes in a motion at a recent meeting. 

He asked “that Laois County Council raise the pedestrian crossing beside Murphy’s shop at the Market Square in Portarlington in the interests of safety.”

In a written response, Senior Executive Engineer at the Road Design Office, James Dowling said: “Laois County Council will survey the pedestrian crossing to see if it is within specification.  The Council is also carrying out a county wide review of the standard of pedestrian crossings and this crossing is included in the review.” 

Cllr Mullins said there have been a few incidents on the crossing and he asked that the matter not have to wait until every crossing in the county was reviewed. 

“The oncoming traffic is right in front of you before you can see it coming,” he told a meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

“I don’t want to have to wait until every crossing in the country is reviewed,” Cllr Mullins said. He said a second crossing near Supervalu should also be set back as it was too near the junction. 

Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly agreed with Cllr Mullins. He said both crossings were too close to junctions. 

Cllr Mullins said the junctions need to be set back at least the length of a 40 foot truck from junctions.  He said when trucks turn left onto the Link Road from French Church Street from the Gracefield side and they reach the crossing and if they have to stop they can block the entire road. 

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“There have been a number of incidents there. People on the crossing when cars come around the corner they are ten feet away before you see them. It’s lethal,” said Cllr Mullins. 

He expressed his hope that the crossing could be examined as quickly as possible.