PHUKET: Funding for underpasses at two key Phuket intersections is being sought by the Phuket Highways Department as debate continues about the suitability of overpasses at other Phuket intersections.
The two 600-metre long underpasses would smooth the flow of traffic on Phuket's Bypass Road across the busy junctions at the Central shopping centre and Tesco-Lotus crossings.
Confirming the plan today, Phuket Highways chief Arun Saneeh told Phuketwan that while no timetable was in place, Cabinet had initially approved the 600 million budget for the Central (Thainaan) underpass.
Another round of Cabinet discussion was likey to grant approval before 2012, he said - providing there was no delay or diversion of budget funds caused by the recent floods.
The Tesco-Lotus underpass will take a little longer, Khun Arun said.
Earlier this year a group of business leaders on Phuket rejected three different kinds of overpasses suggested by Bangkok authorities for the Bypass Road-Thepkasattri Road t-junction.
Overpasses were inappropriate for a seaside tourism destination where visitors were anxious to avoid obvious indications that they were simply holidaying in another city, that meeting heard.
The concept of a tunnel through Phuket's Patong Hill, linking Phuket's east and west more efficiently, is still under consideration.
So is a cheap and effective public transport system for the entire island. Phuket's roads will inevitably become more and more crowded as long as there is no public transport strategy.
At present, local taxis and tuk-tuks monopolise movement along Phuket's popular west coast, demanding fares that are six times what visitors pay in Bangkok and forcing all Phuket residents to buy their own motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles.
Phuket Tourists, Children 'Forced to Watch Patong Sex Show'The two 600-metre long underpasses would smooth the flow of traffic on Phuket's Bypass Road across the busy junctions at the Central shopping centre and Tesco-Lotus crossings.
Confirming the plan today, Phuket Highways chief Arun Saneeh told Phuketwan that while no timetable was in place, Cabinet had initially approved the 600 million budget for the Central (Thainaan) underpass.
Another round of Cabinet discussion was likey to grant approval before 2012, he said - providing there was no delay or diversion of budget funds caused by the recent floods.
The Tesco-Lotus underpass will take a little longer, Khun Arun said.
Earlier this year a group of business leaders on Phuket rejected three different kinds of overpasses suggested by Bangkok authorities for the Bypass Road-Thepkasattri Road t-junction.
Overpasses were inappropriate for a seaside tourism destination where visitors were anxious to avoid obvious indications that they were simply holidaying in another city, that meeting heard.
The concept of a tunnel through Phuket's Patong Hill, linking Phuket's east and west more efficiently, is still under consideration.
So is a cheap and effective public transport system for the entire island. Phuket's roads will inevitably become more and more crowded as long as there is no public transport strategy.
At present, local taxis and tuk-tuks monopolise movement along Phuket's popular west coast, demanding fares that are six times what visitors pay in Bangkok and forcing all Phuket residents to buy their own motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles.
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tesco junction has been flooded on the kathu side for the whole of last week..
where do they propose the water from the underpass should flow to??
Again all this will do is move traffic to the next bottleneck faster!!
Posted by another steve on October 18, 2011 17:56