A BLUEPRINT will be complete this month for turning Phuket's biggest t-junction into a flyover and underpass connection - the island's third big traffic-smoothing intersection project.

News that the bypass road-Thepkasattri Road junction is to be upgraded comes as improved 21st-century signage begins to dot Phuket's major north-south thoroughfare. The signage is aimed at informing motorists about danger corners and recommending speeds.

And it's accompanied by dramatic horizontal raised red strips on the roadway, designed to alert motorists to the need to reduce speed.

As well as saving lives and reducing Phuket's road toll, the improvements are aimed at Phuket achieving international highway standards for World Expo 2020 - which, like Phuketwan, Phuket Road Director Aroon Saneah believes the island has every chance of winning and holding.

Who said there's no forward planning on Phuket?

Driving along Thepkrasattri Road today is also made easier by new high-tec traffic lights and an innovative u-turn system in the stretch marked by the British International School and Royal Phuket Marina.

This work is being attributed to Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob, who added Phuket's symbolic and graceful palmyra trees to the Thepkasattri Road median strip to give the introductory ride for tourists from Phuket International Airport a tropical island flavor.

Khun Aroon said the blueprints for overpasses and underpasses at the Tesco-Lotus intersection, at the Central Festival intersection and at the Thepkasattri t-junction will all be complete by the end of August. Then it will be a matter of obtaining the budget.

Phuket is expected to go forward in 2011 as Thailand's candidate for World Expo 2020, but at present other provinces also remain in contention.

The introduction of Phuket's ''speed limit zones'' is expected to eventually mean motorists being booked for exceeding set limits on urban highways.

Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM), an action group working to improve safety awareness on Phuket's roads and encourage everyone on motorcycles to wear helmets.