Walkers 'terrified' on narrow path under Portlaoise Irish Rail bridge

Portlaoise pedestrians walking under a railway bridge in the Laois town are nervous and terrified of the traffic, but no fast solution is in sight to make it safer.

The narrow footpath under the Mountrath road rail bridge has no railing, unlike the bridge on the Mountmellick road.

However the footpath is too narrow to take a rail.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald describes the fear it is causing for people walking under the bridge.

“Elderly people are very nervous. It's very narrow. Big lorries are passing, you'd be nearly shaking,” she said.

“The Mountrath road is very busy now with cars because of all the new houses,” she said.

She tabled a motion to the December meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking Laois County Council to install railings.

In reply, engineer Wes Wilkinson said that the office will liaise with Irish Rail regarding a proposal to widen the footpaths where possible beneath the bridge.

“That's not really what I asked for,” Cllr Fitzgerald replied.

She added that she has been contacted by residents who are nervous on the footpath.

He explained further.

“The footpath is under 1m wide at pinchpoints. Rails would further narrow it.

“That would give rise to people maybe stepping out if someone was coming towards them. So we are contacting Irish Rail to see if we can do work to widen the path,” the engineer said.

Cllr Fitzgerald still maintained that rails would work now.

“On the Mountmellick road you stop and let people pass. I still would prefer a railing. We'd be a long time waiting to get the path widened.

“I've just seen two lorries hitting that bridge lately, its getting common again,” she added.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly seconded her motion, noting that it could be a long time waiting for the new path.

“Two people passing there is unlikely. Walking with a buggy would be very tight,” he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said people are terrified.

“With the amount of lorries hitting bridges, I'm not surprised that people are terrified of walking under them,” she said.

The engineer dismissed another suggestion by a councillor to take away the path on one side so the other could be widened.

He said this would create another traffic danger as people would have to cross the road to the footpath.

“I'd be hopeful of a quick response from Irish Rail.

“I feel there is potential to widen the path because of the span of the bridge,” Mr Wilkinson said.