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Phuket Underpass Back on Schedule, Delays Overcome
By Benjawan Yothanan Monday, December 16, 2013
PHUKET: Workers digging the Central Festival Phuket underpass have regained precious time and are now back on schedule to complete the project by October 5 next year.
For two months, they have been working extra shifts to regain precious time and minimise the inconvenience that delays bring for commuting motorists.
And the good news, according to the Roads Department on Phuket, is that traffic is now improving. Drivers have discovered alternative routes and now know when to expect delays.
The project is 55 percent complete and should be finished by October next year.
About a kilometre down the bypass road at the Tesco-Lotus intersection, work is just five percent complete.
Signs are to go up soon at Phuket's second underpass, advising motorists of alternative routes. That project is on schedule to be finished on June 15, 2015.
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Comments
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Mass destruction of a once stunning tropical island. And this is referred to as progress... pure madness
Posted by
Graham
on
December 16, 2013 12:17
If you know the area, you also know there is a lot of alternative routes.
Posted by
Rolf
on
December 16, 2013 12:48
And looking at the chicanes, they created around the junction, at time, someone in an upbeat mood can think, they decided, to create a decent traffic circle instead of the junction, afterwards.
Na, I'm not in an upbeat mood. They won't do that. Even if it would create a chance, to have a flow, there.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
December 16, 2013 13:09
The mass destruction was caused by the almost complete lack of a public transit system which has resulted in a massive increase in the number of private vehicles clogging up every main road. This major link road running the length of the island needs to be upgraded to keep the traffic flowing as much as possible. Phuket will never again be the paradise it was 30-40 years ago because of the sheer volume of humanity now here, and the complete failure, of whoever is in charge, to provide the infrastructure.
Posted by
TT
on
December 16, 2013 13:40
I'm happy that the problems on bypass will be solved finally on june 2015.. For this date I'll be still prisoner in Rawai due to the traffic at Chalong round-circle. Saturday evening at about 7 pm the queue started form Nai Harn beach because of the new traffic light on Soi Sayuan (Traffic light company that ended their business in Europe now are florishing in Thailand ). There was only one long queue 3 km long that took about one hour and 15 minutes. In 2 weeks when the hig season will be in full impossibile to go anywhere from Rawai... A golden jail, even for the ambulance going to the hospitals.. Amazing Phuket!!!
Posted by
dave
on
December 16, 2013 14:04
TT, I would suggest, I await the rebuttals, that the lack of public transport has not created the "mass destruction" at all, it is a symptom of over tourism, is such a term exists, if not it does now.
Posted by
DSI Watcher
on
December 16, 2013 15:27
If anyone can explain the logic in creating a multi-million underpass that leads directly into two bottlenecks in a matter of a few hundred metres, why they're a better man/woman than me.
Posted by
Sam Wilko
on
December 16, 2013 15:58
The only thing which can help Phuket is a drastic change in laws regarding purchase, taxation, driver education and ownership of vehicles. With other words make it more difficult and expensive to own and drive.
Posted by
Harald
on
December 17, 2013 07:38
Harald
I agree, car ownership must be made expensive. Special Phuket taxation, only letting Phuket registered vehicles use main roads during peak hours, toll roads are some things that should be introduced.
Posted by
christian
on
December 17, 2013 14:44
Christian
where can I park my car during peak-hours as I am visiting with a Bangkok registered car? Do I have to stay in the car until I am allowed to drive again?
Posted by
herbert
on
December 17, 2013 19:25
Herbert
Visitors could for example be asked to pay daily fee to use their car, payable at the police checkpoint when entering the island. Very easy to organise since there is only one way, over the sarasin bridge, to enter phuket with a car. The fee would of course have to be high enough to disourage people from buying cars in other provinces and than pay the daily fee sticker.
Posted by
Christian
on
December 17, 2013 20:13
@Sam Wilko
The logic behind that underpass is: More money to earn. With an underpass, than with no underpass. More Tea-times, more everything. That includes traffic jam now, and later.
Still the question is, for Chalong, Tesco and the Toyota underpasses, too: How they take care, they won't get flooded, during monsoon times? Will they have a ramp entrance/exit? I wouldn't count to much on pumps. In special in Chalong, where sea level will be higher, than the tunnel floor.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
December 18, 2013 12:01
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Alternative routes? Any way but this way!!
Posted by Lorraine on December 16, 2013 11:56