Councillor claims riverside cycle lanes could ease traffic at Laois school

A councillor has suggested introducing cycle paths along the River Barrow from Carlow to Knockmay School. 

Speaking at the last Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting, Cllr Aisling Moran said the move would alleviate traffic in the area. 

Cllr Ben Brennan had a motion on road repairs on the Sleaty Road at the meeting.  

He asked “that Laois County Council repair the side of the road from Sleaty Road roundabout to Knockbeg School.”

According to Cllr Brennan, the road is really in need of repair. He said he had walked it with council staff shortly before the meeting. 

Senior Executive Engineer Philip McVeigh confirmed that works will be carried out.

“Laois County Council has inspected this road and will arrange to carry out road improvement works as part of the 2023 road surfacing programme,” he said. 

Cllr Moran claimed it takes an hour to get from Knockbeg to Carlow due to the traffic. 

“The only way to clear that traffic is to put in cycle lanes,” she said.  

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“We can use the Barrow. You could fence up beside the river, you could come from Carlow out and from Maganey out and then have a bridge going across the Barrow into Knockbeg. That would take huge traffic off the roads in the morning. The children could cycle out. That’s a very simple solution and probably not that expensive because the route is there,” she said.