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Oh so close: buildings at the base of Patong Hill's infamous hole

Patong Hill Hole to be Fixed for 22m Baht

Tuesday, May 28, 2013
PHUKET: First the good news: The infamous hole in Phuket's Patong Hill road is going to be repaired at a cost of 22 million baht.

And the bad news: Virtually one lane across the hill between Phuket City and Patong will be closed for five months during the complicated repair work.

Phuketwan's dramatic photo album shows how close the buildings at the base of the hill come to the steep slope.

This makes the repair work extra difficult and much more expensive.

The Director of Phuket's Roads Department, Samak Lerdhutwong, revealed yesterday to Phuketwan that a contract had been signed for the 22 million baht project, with work possibly beginning as early as next week and lasting five months.

''It won't be easy,'' Khun Samak said. ''A five-metre retaining wall has to be constructed to shore up the road safely.

''That means we will need to suspend a crane from the roadway and build the wall using the crane. We have to get it fixed and make sure it's solid.''

Revealing progress on Phuket's other major projects, Khun Samak gave Phuketwan the following rundown:

Central Festival Phuket footbridge A design for the replacement footbridge for the one that made way for the underpass project is now being reviewed in Bangkok. Because there can be no mid-road supports, the new ''suspension'' bridge will be quite different.

Central Festival Underpass Work on the underpass is not expected to be severely hampered by monsoon season rains because the contractors have plenty of experience working in the wet.

Tesco Lotus Underpass The contract is due to be signed next month and work should begin almost straight away.

Phuket City Mangrove Flyover With no takers for the original project, the design has been modified to make it worthwhile to contractors and a new tendering process is underway.

Comments

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well this is what happens when you delay and ignore the inevitable

Posted by sky on May 28, 2013 08:38

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As the 22 million baht is public money, it would it be a legal requirement to make all expenses publicly accountable, this way, the public knows where their money has been spent and reduces the chances of corruption and mismanagement.

Posted by Phuket_IOC on May 28, 2013 09:16

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Repaired or 'repaired'? Optimistically I look forward to this work being done and the road being safe for the long term. Realistically I sit back and await the next story of it collapsing again next year. Hopefully all the money will be poured into the hole, not deep pockets and prove me wrong.

Posted by Mister Ree on May 28, 2013 09:19

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should not be cost should be engineering involved make sure correct drainage and concrete is used

Posted by Michael on May 28, 2013 17:01

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In Europe this is a normal problem of most of the road on the hill (not muontains where there is a solid rocks) after the winter season.. Here is become a special very hard work after the first attempt to repair (deliberately) failed miserably.. Now need 22 million baht to repair about 50 mt of road

Posted by dave on May 28, 2013 17:15

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At 22M only 4M more than the beautiful gardens with the [un]rolling stone balls (did you see the pictures of the sublime Charley Watts at the drums in Toronto this past weekend?) about a click east welcoming all to Patong and the hole.

Posted by juswunderin on May 28, 2013 17:33


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