'Hair raising' - Offaly drivers fume over mad diversion as busy road is closed

Motorists commuting to and from Edenderry have been left frustrated over a lengthy detour on the main road out of the town this week. 

The closure of the R402 from the Lidl junction to Lawton's Kia garage was in place on Tuesday and again on Wednesday with detours in place.

The road is busy with commuters and school traffic and school bus operators and emergency services are among those sent specific notice of the closure.

Two diversions will be in place; one for cars and ordinary traffic via Kishawanny Lower, Ballygibbon East and Carrick (L-5019), and the other for heavy goods vehicles via Broadford, Clonard and Kinnegad (R402, L-1005/ 1002, R418, R401).

People have been venting over the delays with one driver saying it took them 45 minutes to get from Edenderry to Carbury via the diversion.

The same driver said there were "literally hundreds of cars trying to pass each other on a road wide enough for one car," adding that it "was hair raising even for an experienced driver and definitely not safe with deep drop offs either side of the road in places. Hopefully it's short lived."

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Another said: "My daughter was the same; took her 30 minutes. She said it was madness, don't understand why it can't be done at night with far less traffic."

A third fumed: "A few cars got a right bang coming towards Edenderry with the drops on that road. I was lucky heading out. I’ll be taking the motorway to Kinnegad coming home in the morning and coming in that way. Madness."

The closure is in place again on Wednesday with the road expected to fully reopen at 6pm on Wednesday evening, March 19.