Councillors call for urgent safety improvements at Laois road
The scene of the crash, which took place in February. Luckily no one was injured - this time!
THE N78 that runs from Ballyfoyle to Barrowhouse continues to pose a risk to drivers and homeowners, despite the decrease in the speed limit from 80km/h to 60km/h.
A recent meeting of the Graiguecullen/Portarlington municipal district heard that there was an urgent update on safety improvements works that were scheduled to be carried out on the road in question after a recent incident saw significant damage to the boundary wall and home of a family who live on the road.
The issue was brought to the recent council meeting by retiring Cllr Padraig Fleming, who urged the council to consider erecting a boundary wall to shield the most affected house from repeated crashes.
Cllr Aisling Moran joined in the call and identified that, having spent a few times driving along the road to see where exactly the problem is, the main issue is with drivers coming from the Ballyfoyle side. She said: "A crash barrier would be a good idea near the house because the house is quite close to the road."
However, Cllr Moran also added that, in her experience, driving up to that particular house before the hill, somebody would have to be going at an incredible speed beyond the existing speed limit to crash there. As a solution, she advocated for the potential installation of speed radar on both sides."
The house that has been affected by three accidents in the past nine months is a family home and the parents are extremely worried about the situation as their children are often out and about in the garden playing. The worst of the crashes saw a car flip over and crash land in the garden; thankfully, the children were not playing outside on that occasion.
In response, the area engineer said: "The designated speed limit on the N78 was reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h from February 2025 as part of the government’s national strategy to reduce the speed limits on roads that run at 60km an hour. Additional speed limit signage has been installed on the section of road. Laois Co Council, in conjunction with the road safety engineer, will carry out an assessment on the N9376 to determine any further improvements to the roadway in regards to road safety."
