THE Phuket flyover that was to settle the dispute involving a 600-metre stretch of mangroves near Phuket City's Saphan Hin park is not yet a certainty, says Anchalee Vanich, Secretary-General to the Prime Minister.
The former Phuket politician said that Cabinet had yet to make a decision between the flyover, which would cost 100 million baht but save the mangroves, and a normal road, which at 30 million baht would be much less expensive.
The road is seen as an essential link between schools and university facilities now based around the Phuket City park and many commuters who live south of Phuket City.
The short length of road was the centre of a long-standing wrangle between then Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob and the Chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Phuket, Ong-art Chanacharnmongkol. Both men are no longer in those roles.
Khun Anchalee added that approval for another controversial stretch of road, a proposed route betwen Patong and Chalong that would reduce the time for the journey by half, was still being considered.
She added that budget had been set aside for creating smoother traffic flow at Phuket City's two ket intersections, the Central Festival and Tesco Lotus corners, but that decisions had yet to be made about whether smoother traffic flows should be engineered using overpasses or underpasses.
The former Phuket politician said that Cabinet had yet to make a decision between the flyover, which would cost 100 million baht but save the mangroves, and a normal road, which at 30 million baht would be much less expensive.
The road is seen as an essential link between schools and university facilities now based around the Phuket City park and many commuters who live south of Phuket City.
The short length of road was the centre of a long-standing wrangle between then Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob and the Chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Phuket, Ong-art Chanacharnmongkol. Both men are no longer in those roles.
Khun Anchalee added that approval for another controversial stretch of road, a proposed route betwen Patong and Chalong that would reduce the time for the journey by half, was still being considered.
She added that budget had been set aside for creating smoother traffic flow at Phuket City's two ket intersections, the Central Festival and Tesco Lotus corners, but that decisions had yet to be made about whether smoother traffic flows should be engineered using overpasses or underpasses.
I don't get it. All the environmental destruction that takes place on this island and there is a major dispute over a few mangrove trees?
Posted by Jon on March 28, 2011 15:30