Tractor bays refused on busy but 'deficient' national road in the Midlands

The Government has given Laois €30 million to fix roads this year but it has none for a "deficient" national road from Portlaoise to Mountmellick.

The narrow stretch of the N80 road has no verges and traverses a moving bog.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has given its reasons for not funding the work.

While it primarily says there is a "not sufficient funding", it also says it has no record of collisions for the area.

However the narrow road stretch has seen several serious incidents in recent years alone.

In 2021 and again in 2022 a car plunged in. In 2021 an articulated lorry flipped across the road, with the cabin falling into the bog. The Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland at that time described the stretch as "deficient in every respect".

Mountmellick teenager Daragh Lee died after being hit by a car while walking home on the narrow road in 2021.

The TII now invites the council to make a submission and report collisions.

"The absence of sites from the locations identified does not preclude a local authority from submitting a feasibility report to TII for safety improvement works. There may be additional information available or there may be unreported collisions at a location that TII is unaware of. In order for TII to consider any such proposals, the road authority is required to carry out an analysis of the collision history at the location, design an appropriate scheme, carry out an economic appraisal, fully cost the scheme and prioritise the scheme.

"Each year TII carries out a collision analysis of the entire national road network, in compliance with the EU Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive. The purpose is to identify locations that have high concentrations of collisions. It does not include the subsequent process to devise proposals to identify any appropriate road safety interventions. That is the responsibility of the local authority."

The TII also say that "it is noted that the next potential future intervention may be likely to come under the category of town bypass".

This refers to the much needed Mountmellick double bypass that is not up for funding until at least 2031.

Cllr Paddy Buggy had tabled a motion to the February meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District asking the council to install areas for slow moving vehicles like tractors to pull in and allow traffic to pass.

The letter of response from the TII was read out at the March meeting by Director of Services Simon Walton.

He sees an opportunity for funding.

"While no funding is currently available, it offers an opportunity to the local authority to identify appropriate safety interventions and to make a submission to the TII," he said.