Car damaged trying to avoid lorry on narrowed €4m Portlaoise road
Driver 'burst wheel' on Abbeyleix N77 road in Laois
The controversial narrowing of the Abbeyleix Road in Portlaoise as part of a €4 million upgrade, was responsible for damage to a car recently, a local councillor has suggested.
The N77 national road was upgraded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) making it narrower for vehicles by adding a dedicated cycle lane.
Problems were raised again at the monthly meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District on May 15, just days before a cyclist was knocked down and injured on the road.
Fine Gael Cllr Willie Aird reported the traffic incident.
"A lady going to Abbeyleix met a very big lorry driving over the middle line. She pulled in and burst her front wheel.
"On the Cherrygarth and Kylebrook entrances, is that as far as you can go? What about at the shopping centre? I asked you to make the junction wider. If a van or bigger vehicle turns they are in very serious trouble, I ask you to have a look," he further said.
Laois County Council Director of Services Simon Walton gave him an undertaking that the road can still be amended if needed.
"Markings will be painted on the junctions to position a car or van so they don't have to cross the white line. If they don't work, we will modify the junctions," he said.
He said that the project was completed except for the road markings and landscaping at entrances.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald asked for more.
"This won't stop unless you do something physical (on the junctions). It's not fair on the businesses either. I ask that all the junctions be looked at again. That is the fairest way to do it," she said.