A significant step has been taken towards the provision of a major piece of road infrastructure in Portlaoise, it has been announced.
At the Portlaoise Municipal District meeting, director of services Kieran Keogh said they had got the go-ahead of the Department of Transport last week to proceed to publication of compulsory purchase orders for Kylekiproe for land to complete the Timahoe link road.
“We got department approval to proceed last Friday,” he said.
The CPOs will be published on Thursday, June 29.
Funding of €1 million was allocated in recent months to allow the compulsory purchase of land for the Portlaoise Southern Relief Road, which will connect the Timahoe and Abbeyleix Roads at the roundabout at O’Moore Park.
The funding was confirmed by the Department of Transport under the Capital Plan Projects 2017.
The announcement was welcomed by Minister Charlie Flanagan at the time.
“Funding to the amount of €1million has been allocated to Laois County Council under the 2017 Specific Improvement Grant Scheme. These funds will allow Laois County Council to proceed with CPO and acquisition of the lands for the route,” he said.
The completion of this southern relief route is seen as a vital piece of local infrastructure to help the flow of school traffic serving Educate Together and the new amalgamated primary schools – Sacred Heart, Scoil Mhuire and St Paul’s – close by.
Preparation work for the project has been ongoing and it is believed a private house was purchased on the Abbeyleix Road to pave the way for the final section of the relief road.
The road will eventually allow a connection from Lismard, at Dysart Motors, to the Abbeyleix Road, close to the ESB substation.
It will also allow traffic using the N80 Stradbally Road to bypass the town centre.
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