Unprecedented serious flooding on Laois towns traffic ‘rat run’
County Hall should step in to end a new flooding problem on Mountmellick road that’s used by a lot of traffic to bypass the town.
That’s what Cllr Paddy Bracken, Fianna Fáil, urged when he met with council officials at a recent meeting.
He tabled a motion calling on Laois County Council to address the ‘continuous serious flooding’ under the old railway bridge at Derrycloney.
“It has been a serious flooding issue for the last few months that I never saw happening before. It is very dangerous and it continues to flood,” he said.
He hoped it would be tackled because of the ongoing bad weather and frost.
Cllr Seamus McDonald backed his party colleague and warned it would result in an accident if not fixed.
Cllr James Kelly, Independent, added his voice to the call for work to be done because he said it was on a ‘rat run’ around Mountmellick from the N80. He said the road is used by a lot of traffic, some of which travels at speed.
Mr Edmond Kenny, District Engineer, outlined what the council’s response would be.
“A suitable outfall for the surface water will need to be identified at this location. A level survey will be undertaken on the road to identify a solution to the flooding issue,” he said.
The issue was raised at the Borris-in-Osory Mountmelllick Municipal District Meeting in November.