'Dangerous' Laois junction to be assessed

A road safety assessment is due to be carried out at a junction in Stradbally. 

Fianna Fail Cllr, Paschal McEvoy, requested the move at the last meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

He asked in a motion  “that this Council carry out a safety audit at the junction on the Vicarstown Road onto Main Street Stradbally”.

Cllr McEvoy explained that there had been “a bad accident there” in recent months. He said the junction leads from the Vicarstown Road straight on to the Main Street of Stradbally. 

“People are coming around the turn and don’t realise they are coming up to a junction and go straight on to the road,” said Cllr McEvoy. 

“It is just dangerous, very, very dangerous,” claimed Cllr McEvoy. 

He said cars are usually parked on either side of the junction so even those who are aware of the junction need to go out  onto the road to see. 

“There needs to be a  full assessment done on the road. Maybe even a ramp to stop people coming up to the junction,” he remarked. 

“People actually go straight across it,” he said. 

Cllr McEvoy said there is signage but more needs to be done at the location. 

“There has been people killed there in the past,” he said. 

A response to the motion was read at the meeting by Senior Executive Engineer Philip McVeigh.  Senior Engineer at Roads Department Paul McLoughlin stated that “a road safety assessment will be carried out at the existing junction.”

Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly said he uses the junction regularly and wanted to support the motion.