Tourism News

Tourism News Phuketwan Tourism News
facebook recommendations

NEWS ALERTS

Sign up now for our News Alert emails and the latest breaking news plus new features.

Click to subscribe

Existing subscribers can unsubscribe here

RSS FEEDS

That's right, there's light at the end of the Phuket tunnel

UPDATE Phuket Gains First Underpass

Saturday, April 4, 2015
Updating All Day, Every Day

THE 600 million baht Darasamuth Underpass - Phuket's first - was officially opened on Monday with the VIP party entertained by a Phuket street performance. Traffic should be able to use the underpass after efficiency checks.

Original Report

PHUKET: Eighteen months in the making, the finishing touches are being put to Phuket's first underpass, which is due to open for traffic at 9am on Monday.

Phuketwan has toured the structure at the Central Festival intersection and rates it a big thumbs-up.

Combined with the second underpass just down the bypass road at Tesco Lotus, the two innovations should make driving on Phuket more of a pleasure than a pain.

The underpass is close to a kilometre long and five metres deep, with three lanes through the underground section.

With the diversions soon to be over, it's possible to look back at the experiences of Phuket motorists and say that the first big dig may not have been as bad as people imagined it to be.

Sure, there were diversions. But the diversions won't seem nearly so bad once they have disappeared and been consigned to memory next week.

Inside the underpass there are plenty of pumps to deal with excessive rainwater and security cameras too.

Two VIPs, the Finance Minister and the Transport Minister, are expected to share the glory at Monday's opening. All of Phuket will be looking forward to the first trip through the tunnel free from hassles.

And the good news is that the Tesco Lotus underpass is already 50 percent complete.

The Roads department and police will supervise the new underpass fpr the first few days to make sure there are not unexpected problems.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

gravatar

Yup, it's going to deliver south-bound traffic nice and quickly to the next choke point. The traffic lights near the weekend market where Chao Fah West road loses a lane.

Posted by Sir Burr on April 4, 2015 16:59

gravatar

Are those air fans I see, I hope so as in this heat with this much traffic on still days they will be needed if the traffic builds up which it will do even on rare occasions of an accident due to the common brake problems we have in Phuket and the general low maintenance of cars, even lower maintenance of motor cycles coupled with the low priority safety is given by some Thais plus many driving with no license or official learning how to drive, plus some being well over any sensible alcohol limit there will be times when the tunnel is full of traffic with their engines running for the aircon etc Is my point too subtle?

Posted by Welcome To Paradise on April 4, 2015 17:27

gravatar

Be glad when the U-turns have gone, less of a risk & saves money on petrol!

Posted by Anonymous on April 4, 2015 17:57

gravatar

All good but what happens when the ree lanes merge into one lane further south from the underpass. Maybe the traffic will cease to be a pain and become one big grid-locked traffic jam? Let's wait and see?

Posted by Robin S on April 4, 2015 18:33

gravatar

Phuketwan has toured the structure at the Central Festival intersection and rates it a big thumbs-up.

So Phuketwan is a fan of concreting over Phuket? It's just another concrete eyesore this once beautiful island didn't need.

I know the morons call this progress.

Posted by Graham on April 4, 2015 19:00

Editor Comment:

It was a road before the underpass went in and it will still be a road after the underpass opens, Graham. If you want to live on an island amid greenery without roads, you've chosen the wrong island. You may have problems finding the right island.

gravatar

Welcome to Paradise,
The fans are installed to generate air flow in the direction of normal traffic during high traffic, low speed periods.
Vehicles travelling at speed will provide this flow during normal traffic situations.
The fans dont have to be large, they just require a reasonable discharge velocity to induce flow across the whole cross section of the the tunnel and will be sized to provide a reasonable dilution of exhaust gases.

Posted by Manowar on April 4, 2015 20:17

gravatar

@Manowar.....I am referencing stationary traffic as in designs like this worst case scenarios have to be planed for. Read my article before talking......................please.

Posted by Welcome To Paradise on April 4, 2015 22:16

gravatar

Welcome to Paradise,
Yes, I agree you post was hard to follow. First fans, then accidents, then brake problems, then low maintenance of motorcycles, then low priority of safety by some Thais, then no licence, the alcohol limits and finally heat rejection from condensers.
The installed fans, unfortunately will not address many of the issues you raise but they will assist in dissipating the hot air generated by some users.

Posted by Manowar on April 5, 2015 04:36

gravatar

What amuses me is the fact they only made the underpass 3 lanes? With the present nightmare traffic in Phuket.... what about in 5, 10 + years time.

Posted by DG on April 5, 2015 06:01

gravatar

(moderated)

Signed,

Lets be proactive ladies and gentlemen!

Posted by farang888 on April 5, 2015 07:05

Editor Comment:

We've maintained the positive message of you post, farang888, and disposed of the doomsaying aspect that appears to be the only approach inveterate doomsayers can take. Predictions of death and destruction usually are the hallmark of misanthropes. We don't need 'em. Nobody wants 'em.

gravatar

Pity it didn't run from the bridge at Mai Khao, all the way to Rawai!

Posted by agogohome on April 5, 2015 08:06

Editor Comment:

Is under the ground your natural habitat, agogohome?

gravatar

I hope they have backup power for the pumps. Often during storms the power goes out for long periods.

Posted by JB on April 5, 2015 09:14

Editor Comment:

No doubt that's been considered, JB.

gravatar

@ Manowar you say my article is difficult to follow is that a fact or are you insecure and/or stupid? Do you follow?

Posted by Welcome To Paradise on April 5, 2015 12:47

gravatar

Welcome to Paradise,
No I think it's a fact that you have an issue trying to keep relevance to a topic. But that's ok, I'm sure it makes sense to you, so that's all that really matters.
As for stupid and insecure, well, comparison of both require a subjective reference which I'm fairly sure will differ between you and me. A dictionary may also help you!

Posted by Manowar on April 5, 2015 15:11

gravatar

I'm puzzled on seeing here as a popular slur of "being insecure", as I hardly ever heard any native speakers to use it.

Are these line of verbiage was so popular in 70s so mostly retirees refer to it now?
Or does it have some sectoral usage, e.g. earth diggers juniors react in such way when kicked in the ass stronger than usually by shift-man?

I've seen quite a lot of various and colorful slur in English, may be more than enough, both in business and private environment, so I wonder why lexicon as above has been hardly ever used.

Posted by Sue on April 6, 2015 13:30

gravatar

Great news, but what happened to the BIG Bypass plannend as a second road from the airport passed the English school connecting with the bypass road? Or with the tram? Or the ferry project? Ok, the last one was like a April fools joke. But anyway, with the underpasses builder, it looks like the big solutions are not in question any more?

Posted by Lena on April 6, 2015 15:36


Friday March 29, 2024
Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa

FOLLOW PHUKETWAN

Facebook Twitter