Details of Laois toll bridge fire revealed
Emergency services battled the Portlaoise fire for over two and a half hours
A Laois toll bridge has sustained damage following a fire on Saturday May 10.
A horse transporter and two of the toll booths at the M7 Toll Plaza in Portlaoise sustained damage when a vehicle travelling eastbound erupted into flames.
A Laois County Fire & Rescue Service Fire Officer has confirmed with the Leinster Express / Laois Live that no injuries were reported.
“Fire control received multiple calls to a vehicle on fire at the M7 Toll Plaza, eastbound, at approximately 19:00 hrs on Saturday May 10," the representative explained.
"Fire crews from Portlaoise and Abbeyleix, along with a senior fire officer, responded and were in attendance at 19:23 hrs.
"When crews arrived, a horse transporter and 2 of the toll booths were on fire. The horse was safely removed from the vehicle.
"The incident was closed shortly after 22:00 hrs," they finished.
Along with damage to the two toll booths, the full extent of damage is unknown as of yet.
A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a fire on the M7 near Junction 18 in Co. Laois yesterday, Saturday, 10th May 2025. The incident occurred at approximately 7.15pm. There were no reports of injuries. Enquiries are ongoing."
The toll road is on the M7 Limerick to Dublin route which also serves the Cork to Dublin route.
The toll plaza is located on the section of the M7 between Junction 18 (Portlaoise West) and Junction 19 (the M7/M8 interchange junction).
The Portlaoise toll bridge, located on the M7/M8 motorway, was officially opened in May 2010. It was designed and constructed by Roughan & O'Donovan-AECOM.