So it looks like for the next 2 years the traffic, at already a standstill, will get even longer tail-backs.

Alternative routes? Like the Patong Hill where a large section of the road is gone due to poor construction and even poorer repairs. Heard this is not going to be addressed until March. The hill is dangerous enough but with the extra traffic this is going to turn into a disaster for some poor souls.

Posted by Graham on November 8, 2012 16:20

Rarely ever had to wait at Central lights for more than one red-light, except in very extreme circumstances.
Now the tail-back IN the underpass will be horrendous as thousands of cars are given fast access to the permanent traffic jam 6 or 7 hundred metres further down the road. The 'artist's impression' photo above with its 7 cars merrily on their way, is the best joke in a long while.

Posted by IAN on November 8, 2012 22:07

Totally agree with Ian. When underpass construction is finished at both Central Festival and TescoLotus junctions, there will be a constant, uninterrupted stream of traffic heading south until the traffic lights at the junction of Chaofa Road West and Virat Hongyok Road. All this expensive construction will do is to displace the waiting time from these two locations to this junction which is already a bottle neck.

Posted by Tom on November 9, 2012 10:18

They forgot to include the illegally parked vehicles on the left lane there

Posted by temh on November 9, 2012 11:47

Was at central, today, and went over the walkbribge to Homeworks, and wondering what will happen to the walkway, its central SUPPORT pillar, is smack in the middle of the underpass lanes. Hope they won't simply remove the pillar.

Posted by Interested Expat on November 9, 2012 15:04

I was thinking the Central intersection will become a nightmare when construction takes away one lane but there is partial solution (Take away the north and south right hand turns at the intersection on bypass road and close the U-Turn in front of Central) You can do this with three(temp)stop lights installed during construction two at the ends of the road behind Big "C" opening up the right hand turn again from bypass road. The third would be at the junction just south of Central construction to allow cars to turn to go to Phuket city and to come out. By taking away two right hand turns you add more time for cars to go strait ahead thus turning two lanes into one with the traffic moving at nearly the same rate it does now. All three lights only need to stop traffic on one half of the road the other side can be left to flow freely down one lane from the south and east) while merging traffic can inter on a second lane open to them only in the same way they do the turnarounds north and south of heroines monument. When construction is finished you take away the three lights and close off the turn from bypass road heading behind Big C again. Maybe your paper can ask the city to look at doing this before the nightmare starts. Of course large signs telling people to turn early at these lights would be nice as well.

Posted by mike on November 11, 2012 11:55