WATCH: 'There will be a serious accident' Laois residents prepared to block 'ratrun' road

Residents in the only part of Portlaoise still without a ring road, are prepared to blockade the road in protest at the speed and volume of traffic choosing their area for a speedy shortcut to the Dublin Road.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live met three of them on site, after their issue came to light at the September meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

Resident Catriona Smyth says she was so concerned that she stood counting traffic from 7.30am to 9am on a recent morning.

“There were over 400 cars, we totally understand people wanting to use it as a shortcut, but it’s the speed we have the problem with.

“For the last number of years I’ve been contacting the council but we’ve been told the speed limit has to be under 50km /h before ramps can be introduced. They said also this was counted as a rural road, and to have ramps you need lights.

It’s getting worse and worse so myself and my brother in law decided to go around and see how other people felt. Absolutely everybody we went to had no problem signing a petition. They were really annoyed at the speed, it’s so dangerous.

“I moved here 36 years ago when it was a real country road, people would have been out walking a lot. The town has grown and we expected that, but there was to be a road going from the Mountmellick road to the Dublin road. That didn’t happen so as the years went on, between Google and roadworks, people seem to figure out to go across through Crookedy, Ballytegan and the Ridge Road.

“It’s either workers or people bringing children to school. The traffic definitely in the last five years has increased so much,” Catriona said.

“Someone’s nearly crashed into us a few times. Also people are very impatient. If I’m coming out from town to turn into my house, the amount of people that wave their fists at me to get out of the way, they’re quite angry.

“Recently we had builders here and they couldn’t believe the amount of traffic and how fast it went. One of the guys stepping out of the van nearly got run over,” she said.

Geraldine Duff lives on Crookedy Lane.

“As well as the speed it’s the volume of traffic is very heavy all the time. It’s getting worse and worse. People are using it as a rat run. We’re the only road in Portlaoise that hasn’t got a bypass. There’s two bad junctions on my lane.

“Lorries are passing by where they should go on the main road,” she said.

Richard Adams spoke on video to Laois Live in Ballytegan as morning traffic drove by.

“You can see the cars are speeding. There’s going to be a serious accident. They are going to work, to school, but you’re not going to get there if you don’t slow down.”

He lives beside the narrow T-junction of Crookety Lane and Ballytegan.

“It’s a bad junction even for people walking, there’s going to be an accident there. I’m going to see it probably because it’s beside my house.

“With the speed of cars coming down the hill, they just keep going there’s no stopping. A couple of days ago I was coming out of that junction into my house and a jeep just flew past me as if I wasn’t even there.

“They treat it more like a main road. The cars just fly past, even if you are stepping out.

“I have a young kid, he’s in the garden, if the ball goes out he’s going to get it. If the dog sees something he’s going to run out over the ditch. Sometimes I even walk out thinking there’s nothing there and all of a sudden, there’s someone on top of you.

“They’re not going 60km. They should be going at 45 or 50.”

“We had a meeting a few days ago and everybody was saying there’s going to be an accident. Until something is done, either ramps or slow the speed.

Their plight was raised by Cllrs Tommy Mulligan, Marie Tuohy and Catherine Fitzgerald in the Portlaoise Municipal District meeting, and the council officials agreed to have a meeting with the residents in late September.

Catriona believes it will not be easy.

“We have this meeting but I’ve been fobbed off for years. Now there’s a group it seems to be making a difference. That people went to the meeting, signed the petition and joined the group. It shows how serious we all are.

“Councillors in touch with us say they are talking about reducing the speed to 50km. That’s great because then they can do (ramps). We just have to keep the pressure on.

“Since the road is being used, and it’s helping them out with congestion on the Mountmellick road, then hopefully they’ll have sympathy for us,” she said.

They have a message for the drivers passing their area.

“Please slow down, it’s speed that is going to cause the accidents. I’m determined to get some form of slowing people down. Signs mean nothing. The road was reduced from 80km to 60 and it doesn’t make any difference. I don’t think a speed van would work, that would only be here an odd time.”

Catriona revealed that residents are prepared to block the road.

“The other thing we are considering is protesting. That might upset drivers, the days we do that.

“Blocking up the road with our vehicles, lorries, tractors. We are thinking down those lines if people don’t adhere to what’s happening. I know it would work,” the resident said.