The pace at which a huge plan to upgrade a significant portion of Portlaoise is being carried out at has come in for fierce criticism.
Works are currently underway to bring a brand new pedestrian crossing as well as footpath and roadway upgrades as part of a €680,000 plan known as Fort Protector Phase 2 works.
Works at Railway Street, Church Street and Tower Hill began in October and it was hoped they would be finished by early 2022
However, much of the work remains incomplete and Sinn Fein Councillor Caroline Dwane-Stanley questioned what exactly was going on at Monday’s meeting of Laois County Council.
She said: “At the pace this is going, I can’t see how it would be completed by early January.
“The contractor needs to pull the finger out because the work is being carried out at a snail’s pace.
“Traders in that area are pulling their hair out wondering what is going on and they are not being told.
“During high winds recently, bollards and other items were blown out onto the road because they weren’t secured properly.
“What type of message is this sending out? I am calling on Director of Services Simon Walton to investigate.”
In response, Director of Services Walton informed the meeting that it would be March 2022 before the project was completed.
He said: “We had delays waiting on pavers to come and that took a week.
“Then we have experienced other delays associated with archaeological discoveries from the 15th and 17th centuries.
“It is hoped that the ten car park spaces that have been taken up by the works will be back in operation by Christmas.
“But the project itself will not be complete until March 2022.”
In reply, Cllr Dwane-Stanley said: “I spoke to an engineer when the project started and was told early January.
“If the end date has gone back to March then the businesses and people in the areas impacted most be properly informed.”
