Updating All Day, Every Day
THE 600 million baht Darasamuth Underpass - Phuket's first - was officially opened on Monday with the VIP party entertained by a Phuket street performance. Traffic should be able to use the underpass after efficiency checks.
Original Report
PHUKET: Eighteen months in the making, the finishing touches are being put to Phuket's first underpass, which is due to open for traffic at 9am on Monday.
Phuketwan has toured the structure at the Central Festival intersection and rates it a big thumbs-up.
Combined with the second underpass just down the bypass road at Tesco Lotus, the two innovations should make driving on Phuket more of a pleasure than a pain.
The underpass is close to a kilometre long and five metres deep, with three lanes through the underground section.
With the diversions soon to be over, it's possible to look back at the experiences of Phuket motorists and say that the first big dig may not have been as bad as people imagined it to be.
Sure, there were diversions. But the diversions won't seem nearly so bad once they have disappeared and been consigned to memory next week.
Inside the underpass there are plenty of pumps to deal with excessive rainwater and security cameras too.
Two VIPs, the Finance Minister and the Transport Minister, are expected to share the glory at Monday's opening. All of Phuket will be looking forward to the first trip through the tunnel free from hassles.
And the good news is that the Tesco Lotus underpass is already 50 percent complete.
The Roads department and police will supervise the new underpass fpr the first few days to make sure there are not unexpected problems.
Yup, it's going to deliver south-bound traffic nice and quickly to the next choke point. The traffic lights near the weekend market where Chao Fah West road loses a lane.
Posted by Sir Burr on April 4, 2015 16:59