Very busy Laois shortcut in Portlaoise to close
One of the most popular shortcut roads for Portlaoise motorists and Dunnes Stores shoppers is set to close again.
In the latest part of a big project underway since the summer, Laois County Council is shutting Green Mill Lane to traffic for the best part of a week.
The council started work on the road in August 2023 after it purchased a house for sale on the Lane's junction with the Ridge Road. Trees were cut within the boundary of the house with a new boundary wall built in its place.
Now the local authority is moving on to the next phase of the work which involves installing a footpath on the lane on the approach to the junction. The council has published a notice advising the public of its decision to close the road.
County Hall is set to close the road from the Ridge Rd junction to a point at the bridge over the River Triogue on the lane at the entrance to Triogue Manor housing estate.
The local authority says the work will be done by on or between 8.30 am, Monday, November 13 to 6pm on Friday, November 17. While only a short section of the road will be closed, a long diversion route has been put in place for anybody who wishes to travel between Ridge Rd and Mountmellick Rd.
A pedestrian bridge over the River Triogue will be carried out in the next phase while the Council hopes to add a pedestrian crossing in future phases. The house at the junction will be tenanted as soon as possible.
A Road Safety Assessment carried out by the council in 2022, recommended eight safety measures including pedestrian crossings, footpaths and a possible truck ban at the Ridge Rd junction. The purchase of the house in 2023 paved the way for the project to proceed.
Meanwhile, hopes for improved traffic flow at the other end of the Ridge Rd at the Mountmellick Road / N80 junction are still up in the air.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland which funds and sanctions work on national roads, has asked Laois County Council to carry out a Feasibility and Options report before a roundabout can be installed.
They want the report to address safety and capacity on the entire stretch of road, from Fairgreen to Market Square. Roundabouts were recommended at the junctions to Harpurs and Green Mill Lanes and the Ballyfin Rd, to improve traffic flow and assist pedestrians and cyclists.