New tunnel

[Barney R]

Drove through the new tunnel going to swampy to pick up friends and return  . It was brilliant getting out of pattaya but as I drove through I remember thinking " so this is it ? All that time and I don't know how much for this " very unimpressive, 

the return trip was however completely different the log jam at Pattaya Tai and Thepprasit was not so brilliant , 35 minutes to get through both with some very angry and aggressive thais trying to bully their way through .

[johng]

2 hours ago, Barney R said:

the log jam at Pattaya Tai and Thepprasit was not so brilliant , 35 minutes to get through

Well if you believe some reports...there will be another tunnel built there to solve that problem ! 

[newnative]

33 minutes ago, johng said:

Well if you believe some reports...there will be another tunnel built there to solve that problem ! 

There were suppose to be 3 tunnels but whether the remaining 2 will be built seems to be up in the air.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Barney R said:

the return trip was however completely different the log jam at Pattaya Tai and Thepprasit was not so brilliant , 35 minutes to get through both with some very angry and aggressive thais trying to bully their way through .

...but the tunnel was great!

 

2 hours ago, newnative said:

There were suppose to be 3 tunnels but whether the remaining 2 will be built seems to be up in the air.

Aint gonna happen. Ever.

[wpcoe]

11 hours ago, newnative said:

There were suppose to be 3 tunnels but whether the remaining 2 will be built seems to be up in the air.

Leave it to Pattaya to build tunnels in the air.   

 

Seriously, though, I thought the other two were to be Pattaya Nua and Pattaya Tai?

[newnative]

12 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

Leave it to Pattaya to build tunnels in the air.   

 

Seriously, though, I thought the other two were to be Pattaya Nua and Pattaya Tai?

One was planned for Pattaya Nua and the longest one was suppose to go under Pattaya Tai and Thepphasit.  At least that is how it was shown on a big table map my partner and I saw at City Hall a couple years ago. 

[AlQaholic]

For once, I think those tunnels are pretty nice, good job. Only question is why did it have to take so bloody long to build just one of them? Second question is; what is it for? There is no apparent benefit from building the tunnels other than having the opportunity to put a shitload of decorative stuff on top of it?

Edited September 6, 2017 by AlQaholic

[Techno Viking]

6 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

For once, I think those tunnels are pretty nice, good job. Only question is why did it have to take so bloody long to build just one of them? Second question is; what is it for? There is no apparent benefit from building the tunnels other than having the opportunity to put a shitload of decorative stuff on top of it?

If the remainder of the planned tunnels are built then it will help massively with traffic congestion. one single tunnel does nothing though.

[AlQaholic]

2 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

If the remainder of the planned tunnels are built then it will help massively with traffic congestion. one single tunnel does nothing though.

How does it help traffic? The island on top of the tunnel is unused? I mean the space taken by the tunnel is the same space taken by the previous five lanes of road surface?

Edited September 6, 2017 by AlQaholic

[Techno Viking]

Just now, AlQaholic said:

How does it help traffic? The island on top of the tunnel is unused?

I used it on sunday turning right from Klang to Suk, is it closed again

[AlQaholic]

1 minute ago, Techno Viking said:

I used it on sunday turning right from Klang to Suk, is it closed again

Oh yeah ok, the turning thing, right i forgot about that. (not in Pattaya very often....).

Edited September 6, 2017 by AlQaholic

[Techno Viking]

2 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

How does it help traffic? The island on top of the tunnel is unused? I mean the space taken by the tunnel is the same space taken by the previous five lanes of road surface?

I see you edited your reply so I willl add more.

 

Not all traffic that uses suk road are turning right into Nua/Klang/Tai/Treappasit.

 

[Destiny1990]

Like the tunnels and even more these swift u turns on the top.Just need more of them.

[newnative]

1 hour ago, AlQaholic said:

How does it help traffic? The island on top of the tunnel is unused? I mean the space taken by the tunnel is the same space taken by the previous five lanes of road surface?

It's suppose to help traffic by allowing thru traffic on Sukumvit to go under the 4 busy intersections and avoid the traffic lights.  If only 1 tunnel is built it sort of defeats the purpose.  Sri Racha has built several overpasses over busy intersections in less time than it has taken to build the first tunnel here.

[jacko45k]

On 9/5/2017 at 11:10 AM, newnative said:

There were suppose to be 3 tunnels but whether the remaining 2 will be built seems to be up in the air.

That would make them flyovers?

[wanderluster]

if you are going past thepprasit then you can wait 3 more yrs(including delays) for the new motorway that will connect to ssuk just past ambassador hotel.

hopefully that will help. as i live in na jomtien, i am looking forward to this. maybe?

[topt]

16 minutes ago, wanderluster said:

if you are going past thepprasit then you can wait 3 more yrs(including delays) for the new motorway that will connect to ssuk just past ambassador hotel.

hopefully that will help. as i live in na jomtien, i am looking forward to this. maybe?

Be interesting to see how much time this would save if you were on Suk already? 

Unless I have this wrong you would have to come of Suk onto Hiway 7, go through a toll booth, feed onto the new link and then presumably pay at a yet to be built toll just before it joins on to Suk past The Ambassador?

Could still be much quicker if they do not build the other tunnels or using the Railway road at peak times .

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, wanderluster said:

if you are going past thepprasit then you can wait 3 more yrs(including delays) for the new motorway that will connect to ssuk just past ambassador hotel.

hopefully that will help. as i live in na jomtien, i am looking forward to this. maybe?

All the east cost motorway extensions will be completed on time in 2018.

[NanLaew]

45 minutes ago, topt said:

Be interesting to see how much time this would save if you were on Suk already? 

Unless I have this wrong you would have to come of Suk onto Hiway 7, go through a toll booth, feed onto the new link and then presumably pay at a yet to be built toll just before it joins on to Suk past The Ambassador?

Could still be much quicker if they do not build the other tunnels or using the Railway road at peak times .

Depends where you are coming from? Those coming from Bangkok and headed for Boon Kanchana, Chaiyapruk and the magnificent Jomtien Second (road to nowhere) could take the new Highway 7 south spur that strikes off after the Highway 36 half-cloverleaf, down past the west end of Mabprachan and across to Sukhumvit south of the Ambassador and then turn north. Possibly an alternative for Theprasit too if there's logjam between the off ramp through the underpass/overpass and the Pattaya Tai junction (floods).

 

I think the Highway 7 extensions will take a whole lot of south-bound traffic away from Pattaya around Sukhumvit and possibly take a load off Theprasit by getting Jontien-bound travelers onto Jomtien Second from the south. Using these extensions as you suggest like a big bypass from Central and North Pattaya to those southern areas maybe still an option on very busy national holiday weekends.

[NanLaew]

On 9/5/2017 at 11:10 AM, newnative said:

There were suppose to be 3 tunnels but whether the remaining 2 will be built seems to be up in the air.

With the low spot that floods regularly at the u-turn just north of the Pattaya Tai traffic lights, any tunnel under there would be very challenging. It would probably give those that want a flooded tunnel what they crave though. An underpass at Theprasit is more feasible as that is at the top of a hill, same as the Klang junction and about 30' higher than the low spot at Tai.

Edited September 6, 2017 by NanLaew

[wpcoe]

On 9/6/2017 at 6:54 PM, NanLaew said:

With the low spot that floods regularly at the u-turn just north of the Pattaya Tai traffic lights, any tunnel under there would be very challenging.

Maybe, just maybe, they will change the plan to an overpass/flyover at the Pattaya Tai and Thepprasit intersections.  I actually don't like the appearance of overpasses/flyovers but they are a heck of a lot easier to build and would serve the intended purpose without dealing with flooding issues.

[William Osborne]

definitely helps when coming from East pattaya into town.... nice to come onto Sukumwit and see it empty...

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Yesterday was my first pass over the tunnel using the lights from SSCC on my journey to Klang. I live off NPW and had decided to go up to Siam to make the left turn onto Sukhumvit and then to Klang.  No southbound traffic on Suk at Soi Siam as the left-turn arrow was green. No drama sliding over to the right-turn lanes. A bit of a wait for the passage to Klang. Almost no top-side traffic, but lots of tunnel traffic. Exactly as hoped. 

 

On the way back, not much northbound top-side traffic. Again, a completely drama-free shift to the right-turn lanes for Soi Siam. Definitely more traffic on Siam than there used to be during the tunnel construction. 

 

It all works for me. A big relief such that I may just stay on the Dark Side now.

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Yesterday was my first pass over the tunnel using the lights from SSCC on my journey to Klang. I live off NPW and had decided to go up to Siam to make the left turn onto Sukhumvit and then to Klang.  No southbound traffic on Suk at Soi Siam as the left-turn arrow was green. No drama sliding over to the right-turn lanes. A bit of a wait for the passage to Klang. Almost no top-side traffic, but lots of tunnel traffic. Exactly as hoped. 

 

On the way back, not much northbound top-side traffic. Again, a completely drama-free shift to the right-turn lanes for Soi Siam. Definitely more traffic on Siam than there used to be during the tunnel construction. 

 

It all works for me. A big relief such that I may just stay on the Dark Side now.

Good update there. With the greater part of SSCC still impassable, traffic in and out of it may be lighter right now. If they ever get SSCC sorted, it may be a bit busier on the crossing over but agreed for mow it appears the underpass* is taking the strain.

 

* it's not a tunnel any more as only tunnels flood.