Council approves €675,000 scheme for Laois town
Work is to start this year on the major safety scheme for Station Road, Portarlngton
WORK on a major road safety scheme costing €675,000 is set to begin this year on Station Road in Portarlington.
Footpath upgrades, raised pedestrian crossings, improved paving and lighting, junction tightening and the creation of a School Safety Zone at Presentation Primary School are among the main features of the plan.
Laois County Council’s ‘Active Travel Scheme’ for Station Road was highly praised and unanimously approved at the latest meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District.
During a presentation on the scheme, senior engineer Diarmuid Donoghue said there were no objections or submissions during the public consultation phase.
Mr Donoghue said work would begin in 2025 and would be either completed this year or carried out in two phases over the next two years.
The scheme aims to deliver safer pedestrian and cycling infrastructure on Station Road and is designed to be of particular benefit to walkers and cyclists, including children walking or cycling to Presentation Primary School and people travelling to bus stops or the railway station.
Mr Donoghue said the scheme includes a zebra crossing on the train station side of Whitefields Estate and another zebra crossing to improve safe access to the girls’ primary school, together with pencil bollards outside the school. No existing parking spaces will be affected.
The works are fully funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), which announced a €675,000 grant for the Portarlington project earlier this year.
Welcoming the scheme, Cllr Aisling Moran said it should be extended to towns and villages around the county. She said: “It should be done everywhere. It’s brilliant to see this in Portarlington and it should be done in all our towns and villages. It looks fantastic.”
Cllrs Paschal McEvoy, Pádraig Fleming, Vivienne Phelan and Ben Brennan agreed, with Cllr Brennan remarking: “It is a complete and utter safety plan and it looks great. I would love to see it come into the small towns and villages.”
District Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Mullins also praised the scheme and complimented Mr Donoghue and everyone involved in its preparation.
The engineer told councillors that there was “nothing to prevent” similar schemes in other local towns and villages.
