Hope floats for Chalong Underpass opening by April

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Hope floats for Chalong Underpass opening by April

 

 

PHUKET: The Project Manager at the Phuket office of the Highways Department responsible for the ongoing construction of the B546-million Chalong Underpass says he is confident that the underground thoroughfare will be open in time for Songkran in April next year.

 

Somkiet Yimpong, Project Manager at the Phuket office of the Highways Department, told The Phuket News today (Sept 11) that construction progress of the entire project currently stands at 56% complete.

 

That progress follows only 40% complete in March, he noted.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/hope-floats-for-chalong-underpass-opening-by-april-68592.php#BzVmROPwCUGTtTxt.99 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-09-11

[schlog]

There was never any hope for this schedule.......

 

Let's try it again with april 2020 lol.

[Jimi007]

7 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

<snip> (Sept 11) that construction progress of the entire project currently stands at 56% complete.

 

That progress follows only 40% complete in March, he noted.

16% more completed in six months. But 44% more will be completed in another seven months? I may not be a civil engineer, but I can do math! Apparently this guy can't! 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, Jimi007 said:

16% more completed in six months. But 44% more will be completed in another seven months? I may not be a civil engineer, but I can do math! Apparently this guy can't! 

I wouldn't worry too much about those percentages.

 

I do notice they seem to be making good progress now, finally.

[Valentine]

They cannot fix the side roads now because they always have traffic!!! To lay a good even surface could be done overnight with minimum disruption. Those same roads have been closed during the day before.

[steelepulse]

I'm skeptical to say the least.  How many months is this project behind schedule already?  Won't it be 3 years in December this project has been ongoing?

[Valentine]

2 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

I'm skeptical to say the least.  How many months is this project behind schedule already?  Won't it be 3 years in December this project has been ongoing?

I thought the 3 years was either this month or same time last year

[sebastion]

I'm skeptical to say the least.  How many months is this project behind schedule already?  Won't it be 3 years in December this project has been ongoing?

The original completion date was September 2017.
So we are half way and a year over initial completion date.
Construction started December 2015.
https://www.thephuketnews.com/work-on-phuket-chalong-underpass-begins-55463.php

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[madmitch]

7 hours ago, Jimi007 said:

16% more completed in six months. But 44% more will be completed in another seven months? I may not be a civil engineer, but I can do math! Apparently this guy can't! 

Your maths is OK but I'd guess most of that 16% has been completed in the past two months with only a minimal amount of work done between March and the beginning of July.

[Valentine]

7 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Your maths is OK but I'd guess most of that 16% has been completed in the past two months with only a minimal amount of work done between March and the beginning of July.

They do seem more busy getting the concrete roofing in place. before you could sometimes count on one hand the number of workers standing around

[Psimbo]

Unfortunate title for the article given it's location!

[sebastion]

I think the land appropriation is what let the project down.
Obviously the project was rushed through to benefit someone's lifestyle and without due diligence.

I don't blame the construction company. I blame the people approving the project.

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[stevenl]

11 hours ago, sebastion said:

I think the land appropriation is what let the project down.
Obviously the project was rushed through to benefit someone's lifestyle and without due diligence.

I don't blame the construction company. I blame the people approving the project.

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Sgree about the land appropriation issurs.

But with hardly any manpower or machinery down there for long periods of time, a large part of the blame goes imo to the construction company.

[nasa123]

Help is on the way to Chalong car parking.

 

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=a8NM1_1536797155

 

[steelepulse]

On a tangent, Mrs SP told me it took from 14:45  until 16:00 to get from Saiyuan to Makro yesterday.  More hours are lost sitting in traffic there then are put in by the workers.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, steelepulse said:

On a tangent, Mrs SP told me it took from 14:45  until 16:00 to get from Saiyuan to Makro yesterday.  More hours are lost sitting in traffic there then are put in by the workers.

The rain makes it bad, both yesterday afternoon and evening and this morning.

Normally though from Sai Yuan to Makro is no problem, just try to stay away from evening rush hour.

Edited September 18, 2018 by stevenl

[LivinginKata]

27 minutes ago, stevenl said:

The rain makes it bad, both yesterday afternoon and evening and this morning.

Normally though from Sai Yuan to Makro is no problem, just try to stay away from evening rush hour.

 

Really bad at 10.15 this morning. I was trying to make the u-turn at Tesco to get on the back road up to Kata. I could see traffic backed up way north of Makro. At least drivers are good enough to let turning traffic round as they are all stopped anyway. Turning traffic just slips way into the inside and up the back road. Never have to wait more than a couple of minutes. 

[stevenl]

7 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Really bad at 10.15 this morning. I was trying to make the u-turn at Tesco to get on the back road up to Kata. I could see traffic backed up way north of Makro. At least drivers are good enough to let turning traffic round as they are all stopped anyway. Turning traffic just slips way into the inside and up the back road. Never have to wait more than a couple of minutes. 

Yes, yesterday evening and this morning were bad, due to the weather I presume.

[madmitch]

16 hours ago, stevenl said:

Yes, yesterday evening and this morning were bad, due to the weather I presume.

Probably, but the road between the Circle, past Homepro and down as far as the u-turn area seems to be getting worse by the day. That, along with the bollards allowing a left turn from the road after Homepro, is probably also having an effect.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Probably, but the road between the Circle, past Homepro and down as far as the u-turn area seems to be getting worse by the day. That, along with the bollards allowing a left turn from the road after Homepro, is probably also having an effect.

If all works ok it takes me 10-15 minutes from my shop to the pier, now 15-20. That is departure from Kata 07.30 hours. On a day like yesterday with the heavy rain 10 minutes longer.

 

[steelepulse]

18 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Really bad at 10.15 this morning. I was trying to make the u-turn at Tesco to get on the back road up to Kata. I could see traffic backed up way north of Makro. At least drivers are good enough to let turning traffic round as they are all stopped anyway. Turning traffic just slips way into the inside and up the back road. Never have to wait more than a couple of minutes. 

This is a big part of the problem for traffic coming from Rawai.  All the busses doing 17 point u turns, cars and trucks sticking their noses in front of oncoming traffic etc.  This only leads to more congestion and road rage.  Not sure why u turn traffic can't be forced to go down to the Sai Yuan traffic light and have to wait their turn like every other vehicle coming from Rawai.

 

Yes I get the fact that people from Chao Fa east have to wait a bit to get through the circle and want to immediately u turn, but it's nothing like the nightmare coming from Chalong.  OK end of rant........................

[Valentine]

18 hours ago, madmitch said:

Probably, but the road between the Circle, past Homepro and down as far as the u-turn area seems to be getting worse by the day. That, along with the bollards allowing a left turn from the road after Homepro, is probably also having an effect.

Between the pot holes & steel plates it seems like a no brainer to make that section nice & smooth which would have positive flow on effects

[metisdead]

A nonsense post has been removed. 

[Old Croc]

Haven't been past myself for a while, but I heard that they are now digging an open hole in the middle of the old circle. i.e. not laying the roof first and digging out underneath, as they have done in other sections.

Can anyone confirm?

[LivinginKata]

On 10/13/2018 at 11:51 AM, Old Croc said:

Haven't been past myself for a while, but I heard that they are now digging an open hole in the middle of the old circle. i.e. not laying the roof first and digging out underneath, as they have done in other sections.

Can anyone confirm?

 

Passed through today. Looks like they just dug down enough to make the roadway/bridge roof through. For sure not an open hole. Just skimming down a meter. 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Passed through today. Looks like they just dug down enough to make the roadway/bridge roof through. For sure not an open hole. Just skimming down a meter. 

Yes, same here. In part it is again covered by concrete.

[LivinginKata]

The tail back at about 12,00 today on a Sunday was spectacular. I ventured out to Food for Farangs today as my food stocks almost exhausted. Not been there for a month. I drove back by the Kata View Point. Long slow drive. Not sure it was quicker. 

[madmitch]

The GF pointed out a man changing the numbers on a sign on Saturday. Yes, on the left, by the metallic sheets pretending to be a road surface just past the Circle heading north, there is a sign in Thai stating the number of days until completion of the project. On Saturday this was reading 219 days, therefore we can expect Chalong Underpass to be completed on May 27th 2019.

 

Watch that space!

[Valentine]

17 hours ago, madmitch said:

The GF pointed out a man changing the numbers on a sign on Saturday. Yes, on the left, by the metallic sheets pretending to be a road surface just past the Circle heading north, there is a sign in Thai stating the number of days until completion of the project. On Saturday this was reading 219 days, therefore we can expect Chalong Underpass to be completed on May 27th 2019.

 

Watch that space!

That pot holed steel plates pathetic excuse for a road is part of the tail back problem. A smooth surface would enable the traffic to move through there much more quickly

[madmitch]

On 10/22/2018 at 12:28 PM, madmitch said:

The GF pointed out a man changing the numbers on a sign on Saturday. Yes, on the left, by the metallic sheets pretending to be a road surface just past the Circle heading north, there is a sign in Thai stating the number of days until completion of the project. On Saturday this was reading 219 days, therefore we can expect Chalong Underpass to be completed on May 27th 2019.

 

Watch that space!

No surprises when I drove past yesterday and the number of days was still 219!