'TII aren't up to the job': Laois towns waiting years on funding for road works

Laois County Councillors have slammed Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for 'years' of waiting on funding to provide safety measures on Laois roads.

The issue was raised under a motion tabled by Fianna Fáil Cllr Paddy Bracken, who said that Mountmellick locals are 'living in fear' due to rampant speeding.

Cllr Bracken has asked that the Council work in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to provide traffic calming and speed reduction measures on the N80 at Graigue, Mountmellick.

The Council's Road Design department responded that they will meet with Cllr Bracken at this location.

Pictured: The N80 at Graigue, Mountmellick

"Any proposed works will be subject to a TII funding application."

Cllr Bracken welcomed this news, highlighting the excessive speeding in the area.

"There's shocking speed coming into the town, there are residents living there in fear of the speed," Cllr Bracken said.

"We need some traffic calming measures here, an island or something similar to slow down the traffic. It's 50km and then it goes up to 100km. 

"There's another issue out further on that road, as you turn out for upper forest, L20951. There have been a few accidents up there and there is no hard shoulder for people, when they're trying to get across the road. We need a hard shoulder there. I appreciate the response and I will meet with Road Design as soon as possible, and we'll try to get funding for it," Cllr Bracken said.

Pictured: Cllr Clooney has long awaited a crossing next to the school and the Roman Catholic church in Durrow

Cllr Bracken replied that the designs will be created within a matter of weeks, and that the long wait is due to TII delays.

"Unfortunately on the N80 in Mountmellick there is a heavy bit of work that has to go through TII for funding, it's a long drawn out process with TII, and there will be major accidents on that road," Cllr Bracken said.

"Hopefully we can get the design done and try to address it through funding from TII."

Independent Cllr James Kelly slammed TII for these delays, calling for immediate action.

Pictured: Mountmellick have been waiting over 50 years for an inner relief road 

"How disappointing that has to be for everybody involved. TII need to step up to the mark, considering that we are not going to get the relief road. They need to start putting in the proper road safety measures to protect people on those roads. It's as simple as that," Cllr Kelly argued.

Cllr Clooney hailed the situation as 'absolutely ridiculous'.

"This is why I asked the question, I think that TII are not up to the job. They are taking too long altogether, it is absolutely ridiculous. I am waiting for a pedestrian crossing in Durrow for over six years, and nothing has been done," he said.

"Not a thing. I am blue in the face asking for it, all of these designs are fine, but what we want is work done on the ground. We don't want to be talking about it at all, just do the work," he slammed.

Cllr Paddy Bracken requested that a representative from TII be invited to address Laois County Council on these delays.

The Council replied that an invitation was recently extended to TII, and that they have not received a response as of yet.

Laois County Council will extend another invitation to TII to address the Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick district.

This motion was tabled at the May sitting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District.