Calls for new ring road in 'traffic-congested' Offaly town Reporter: 9 May 2021 Heavy traffic passing through Birr on the N52 is a big problem and people are calling for a ring road '); '); An updated plan for Birr wants to see the rerouting of the busy N52 so it no longer passes through the town but around it. The plan was discussed during a Birr 20/20 Zoom meeting last week. Salters Sterling welcomed everyone to the Zoom meeting. He said it was the first time ever that Birr 20/20 had held an online meeting. “Birr 20/20 hasn't held any public meetings since March 2020, for obvious reasons,” he commented.