Chalong Underpass makes breakthrough

[rooster59]

Chalong Underpass makes breakthrough

By The Phuket News

 

The tunnel has now been fully excavated and the underpass is hoped to open to traffic in April. Photo: Phuket Highways Office
 

PHUKET: The tunnel that will become the Chalong Underpass has now been fully excavated and the construction engineer for the project still hopes that the underpass will be open to traffic in April.

 

Somkiet Yimpong, Project Manager at the Phuket office of the Highways Department, told The Phuket News yesterday (Feb 15) that the tunnel breakthrough came in late January.

 

Works on installing the panelling along the walls of the underpass have already begun, he said.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/chalong-underpass-makes-breakthrough-70408.php#JKhzkSPUqhfsgfHI.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-02-16

 

 

[arithai12]

If the project is 76% complete after 2 years (I think), how can it be finished in 2 months?

I do hope they do the testing/acceptance phase properly and not rush through it for saving time. Anyway, good to see the inside of it. It will be a relief when it's finally open.

[merijn]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

If the project is 76% complete after 2 years (I think), how can it be finished in 2 months?

I do hope they do the testing/acceptance phase properly and not rush through it for saving time. Anyway, good to see the inside of it. It will be a relief when it's finally open.

He didn't say in which year ????

[Destiny1990]

Lets say i drive from central to chalong then at the tunnel i need to go to Kata do i take the tunnel then or?

[stevenl]

16 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Lets say i drive from central to chalong then at the tunnel i need to go to Kata do i take the tunnel then or?

Tunnel will run Rawai to Chao fa West. So no, no tunnel for you.

 

I see them making big progress for quite some time already. The airport underpass started later and made some terrific initial progress, so I thought that would be finished about a year or so before chalong. But without any progress there it could even be chalong will win the race.

[Destiny1990]

28 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Tunnel will run Rawai to Chao fa West. So no, no tunnel for you.

 

I see them making big progress for quite some time already. The airport underpass started later and made some terrific initial progress, so I thought that would be finished about a year or so before chalong. But without any progress there it could even be chalong will win the race.

Race that might be an optimistic word. Anyway I rarely go to Rawai so yeah will seldom use that tunnel it should have had a Kata exit as well in mho.

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Race that might be an optimistic word. Anyway I rarely go to Rawai so yeah will seldom use that tunnel it should have had a Kata exit as well in mho.

 

The circle should be back open. So don't take tunnel. Go left slip road up to circle then up Patak road to Kata.

 

No real reason that the circle should be back open now. I assume they just want to ease the flow from Rawai to both Chaofa roads.  I guess we have to wait til underpass open.

[pagallim]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Tunnel will run Rawai to Chao fa West. So no, no tunnel for you.

 

I see them making big progress for quite some time already. The airport underpass started later and made some terrific initial progress, so I thought that would be finished about a year or so before chalong. But without any progress there it could even be chalong will win the race.

Just a point, the airport underpass only runs from south to north, and has been open for quite a number of months now though the peripheral infrastructure i.e. road re-surfacing etc has yet to be completed.   You still have to head north from the airport turn off junction and then do a U Turn to get back on the south routing lanes of Thepkassaktri.

 

Just a point, the Chalong underpass, is it going to be two lanes, i.e. Chaofa West/Rawai, Rawai/Chaofa West or only the southern route?   Doesn't seem very wide for dual direction.

[LivinginKata]

4 minutes ago, pagallim said:

<snip>

Just a point, the Chalong underpass, is it going to be two lanes, i.e. Chaofa West/Rawai, Rawai/Chaofa West or only the southern route?   Doesn't seem very wide for dual direction.

 

 Supposed to be 2 way. And yes, it looks quite narrow. Need a bit more than plastic bollard divide. Assume cement segments like Central tunnel.

[Joe Mcseismic]

Why is this a "breakthrough"?

[pagallim]

8 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Why is this a "breakthrough"?

Possibly with the two (north and south) excavations actually meeting, hopefully at an equitable level.........????

[Joe Mcseismic]

2 minutes ago, pagallim said:

Possibly with the two (north and south) excavations actually meeting, hopefully at an equitable level.........????

That happened a long time ago. Check the picture.

[ChipButty]

Thai's will taking a short cut through there soon

[swerve]

Looks very narrow.  5555

[pattayadgw]

Another waste of money and out of date before it even opens.  I wonder who the "bright spark" is who gave the green light for a 2 lane tunnel at Chalong.  Every tunnel constructed should be a minimum of 4 lanes ie: 2 each way.  As we're all aware the traffic on the island is becoming unbearable and if you have ever witnessed the traffic out of Rawai heading north each day along with the traffic heading west to Kata we all know this 2 way tunnel is already obsolete and the road east west at the circle needs a flyover.  Where do they find these people who design this stuff... in a Kelloggs corn flakes pack?  

[Old Croc]

1 hour ago, pattayadgw said:

Another waste of money and out of date before it even opens.  I wonder who the "bright spark" is who gave the green light for a 2 lane tunnel at Chalong.  Every tunnel constructed should be a minimum of 4 lanes ie: 2 each way.  As we're all aware the traffic on the island is becoming unbearable and if you have ever witnessed the traffic out of Rawai heading north each day along with the traffic heading west to Kata we all know this 2 way tunnel is already obsolete and the road east west at the circle needs a flyover.  Where do they find these people who design this stuff... in a Kelloggs corn flakes pack?  

The "Central" underpass is only 1 lane each way (started as a ludicrous 3 lanes), and it works reasonably well in funneling large amounts of traffic through. Any holdups stem from the next southern intersection, an easy fix that no one seems to be interested in solving.

I think the problems for the Chalong one will all be on the roof where they will still have 5 roads converging.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Old Croc

[swerve]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The "Central" underpass is only 1 lane each way (started as a ludicrous 3 lanes), and it works reasonably well in funneling large amounts of traffic through. Any holdups stem from the next southern intersection, an easy fix that no one seems to be interested in solving.

I think the problems for the Chalong one will all be on the roof where they will still have 5 roads converging.

 

 

Before the underpass construction, that circle area was prone to flooding.  I expect water problems.

[LivinginKata]

26 minutes ago, swerve said:

Before the underpass construction, that circle area was prone to flooding.  I expect water problems.

 

Don't ever remember the circle area being flooded. Any excess water would run down hill to Chalong pier. Might be you are thinking about Chaofa East a few kms away.

[RedCardinal]

14 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

Don't ever remember the circle area being flooded. Any excess water would run down hill to Chalong pier. Might be you are thinking about Chaofa East a few kms away.

It has flooded multiple times at the intersection from Wiset joining the circle, and in front of HomePro. While many things still shock me here, I'd be really surprised if they didn't factor this into their project plans.

 

It's a longer tunnel than others constructed here, very narrow, and includes some bends.  Other Phuket tunnels are straight, relatively short and use only fans to push air in and out. Given the need for air pumps to extract fumes, you do not want to be down there if a fire breaks out and those pumps stop for any reason. 

 

I hope they enforce whatever restrictions needed to avoid accidents, and have well-marked escape routes in case of fires etc.  Time will tell.

[LivinginKata]

9 minutes ago, RedCardinal said:

<snip>

and have well-marked escape routes in case of fires etc.  Time will tell.

 

You really think there are 'escape routes' if vehicle already in the tunnel. 

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Don't ever remember the circle area being flooded. Any excess water would run down hill to Chalong pier. Might be you are thinking about Chaofa East a few kms away.

Chalong circle did flood easily, I remember quite a few slow drives there when further on viset all was ok.

 

But many flooding predictions as well about the samkong underpass, so far all wrong.

Edited February 19, 2019 by stevenl

[Old Croc]

15 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

It has flooded multiple times at the intersection from Wiset joining the circle, and in front of HomePro. While many things still shock me here, I'd be really surprised if they didn't factor this into their project plans.

 

It's a longer tunnel than others constructed here, very narrow, and includes some bends.  Other Phuket tunnels are straight, relatively short and use only fans to push air in and out. Given the need for air pumps to extract fumes, you do not want to be down there if a fire breaks out and those pumps stop for any reason. 

 

I hope they enforce whatever restrictions needed to avoid accidents, and have well-marked escape routes in case of fires etc.  Time will tell.

I pretty sure tunnels everywhere these days have water pump systems to remove any potential flood water.

If you are overly concerned about a fire in a tunnel coinciding with air pump failure, I suggest you use the slip roads over the top. Can't be too safe.

This is Thailand, enforcement of road safety rules is hit and miss (!) any time. I can't see the underground parts of a road being any different. They may occasionally extract fines from bike riders using it against regulations. 

The escape route is the opposite direction from the fire.

[Old Croc]

14 hours ago, stevenl said:

Chalong circle did flood easily, I remember quite a few slow drives there when further on viset all was ok.

 

But many flooding predictions as well about the samkong underpass, so far all wrong.

It did flood once, just after I had made a comment about the amount of road debris building up, and how they didn't  seem to have a road sweeper.

They blamed debris blocking the drains.

 

[RedCardinal]

On 2/19/2019 at 9:37 AM, LivinginKata said:

You really think there are 'escape routes' if vehicle already in the tunnel. 

Other tunnels on the island have walkways for users to to get out.

On 2/20/2019 at 1:19 AM, Old Croc said:

I pretty sure tunnels everywhere these days have water pump systems to remove any potential flood water.

Sump pumps. 

On 2/20/2019 at 1:19 AM, Old Croc said:

If you are overly concerned about a fire in a tunnel coinciding with air pump failure, I suggest you use the slip roads over the top. Can't be too safe.

Meh.  Not that concerned.  But this tunnel introduces features that have not appeared at other locations on the island thus far. I hope they've learnt enough from practice now, but TiT and YMMV... 

 

[ChipButty]

In that area not that many metre's down you would hit water I would imagine there is going to be some flooding in the tunnel even if they have installed pumps as usual they will not be able to cope, to small

[Old Croc]

 

5 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 4:37 PM, LivinginKata said:

You really think there are 'escape routes' if vehicle already in the tunnel. 

Other tunnels on the island have walkways for users to to get out.

Are their no plans for a walkway with this one? It's still getting the internal fit out. 

 

5 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 8:19 AM, Old Croc said:

I pretty sure tunnels everywhere these days have water pump systems to remove any potential flood water.

Sump pumps. 

Sorry, pumps to remove "Sump".

 

5 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 8:19 AM, Old Croc said:

If you are overly concerned about a fire in a tunnel coinciding with air pump failure, I suggest you use the slip roads over the top. Can't be too safe.

Meh.  Not that concerned.  But this tunnel introduces features that have not appeared at other locations on the island thus far. I hope they've learnt enough from practice now, but TiT and YMMV... 

Tunnels in the Alps, for example, have guidelines that require escape routes at a minimum of every 500 meters. The Chalong underpass is 750 meters long and, under similar guidelines wouldn't require escape exits other than the open ends.