New Bypass Roads.

[mike100]

Be careful on the new bypass roads in Pattaya.

Ok, the new roads going across Soi Country Club and up to the railway line near the Water Works are nearly finished, but it seems to be a free for all at the cross roads, with no one knowing who has the right of way.

I had a mishap a few months ago when the right of way on the half finished roads were still in favor for the older roads. Took about 2 months to recover, but am ok now thankfully.

Many more accidents there now and wonder how many lives will be lost before the authorities become aware that something should be done to rectify it. Not that I am holding my breath, TIT, and life is very cheap.

mike.

[Cuban]

....free for all at the cross roads, with no one knowing who has the right of way.

In the past week the roadways have been painted with yellow lane markers, at most (?) of the junctions there are now solid white/yellow lines to indicate that traffic on both the by-pass road and the intersecting road that crosses the railroad should stop. However this is Thailand and the normal road traffic laws apply - the larger or more important car/truck has right of way by imposed force.

As per any other road in Thailand - never put your vehicle anywhere unless you have been there with your eyes and your brain first.

[scotsman]

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/letters.shtml#hd5 its in the letters of pattaya mail. I agree very dangerous cross roads in all the the main roads it crosses all the way up but this road is not finished so why is it being aloud to be used There will have to be traffic lights installed at every crossing or there will be many very bad accidents on every cross road all along this new road But as this is los you can be sure there will be no action from city hall as we all know there is no common sense there

[Cuban]

We drove down/up this road this afternoon, there are signs indicating that there will be traffic control lights at each junction, however I expect that this will be in the fullness of time. The other issue that occurs to me is that when the traffic does indeed stop at these junctions, will common (?) sense apply and cars etc not stop blocking the junction, in particular when trains are passing.

Yellow Box Junctions should be marked on the roadway for each of these junctions, the traffic lights set on amber flashing and red flashing, traffic will pass through the junction anyway - best if they are slowed down a bit first.

Yes I agree there will be more accidents - the last junction (tunnel) before the Highway 36 being the more dangerous IMHO.

[raro]

Sorry to hear about your accident, Mike, I thought your pick-up truck was large enough to ensure your right of way?

Anyways, as Cuban just said, the new markings make it pretty clear....Soi Siam Country Club is the main road and the others have to wait.

[CGW]

This was always going to be a solution that created so many more! temporary at best!

Why they didn't just continue the overhead expressway from Bang Na all the way through to Rayong as was the original plan, easy

[mike100]

Sorry to hear about your accident, Mike, I thought your pick-up truck was large enough to ensure your right of way?

Anyways, as Cuban just said, the new markings make it pretty clear....Soi Siam Country Club is the main road and the others have to wait.

Raro,

It is, but I was on my bike that day, and had to drop it to avoid a head on from a truck who thought he had the right of way. Ended up with missing him, but a fist size burn on my leg after being tapped under the bike for a some seconds, also of course he didn’t stop to help me.

No matter, better now, albeit a big scar, but now thought it good to warn others as nothing has improved 4 months following my accident, especialy further up near the water works Railway Junction .

[torrenova]

Those untarmacked roads either side of the railway line look murderous as well (unless that is what you are on about). I won't bother with them at all. You might save 10 minutes but you have to pay Bt200 to get your car cleaned which takes you an hour. Net result, out of pocket, waste of time and potential accident as well.

[rober507]

Sinve these roads aren't finished and officially opeoened to road users, what happens if you have an accident? i.e. are you covered by insurance?

[Cuban]

Sinve these roads aren't finished and officially opeoened to road users,

There are only a few sections on the East side of the railroad line that are still just bare earth, this is South Of Pattaya Tai, there are signs in Thai says 'road construction' no access but there is space to drive through and following a police pickup the other evening when I visited a friend in the area didn't seem to be a problem. The rest are open to traffic.

[raro]

@ Mike: ouch! The fact I didn't know about it shows that we haven't been for beer for much too long!!!

****

just came back from Sukhumvit, took Soi Muslim first. Traffic Jam from Sukhumvit onwards. A cop was standing on the road trying to direct the traffic. Turned left into the first new road alon the train line. Big mistake. Stuck again at Siam Country Club for about 5 minutes. Because of the other road aling the train line the three cops were completely inapt to get anything going and basically all cars were in a gridlock. God that no train was coming....

The traffic down to Sukhumvit was stuck up to the big long live the King sign across the road...

Whoever had that brilliant idea of constructing those roads and making them both two-way should be hung by the you-know-where-it-hurts....

[paul1970]

There will have to be traffic lights installed at every crossing

I don't think installing traffic lights will make a dam_n bit of difference as they will probably only work for a month per year at best if the lights where soi nernplubwaan meets sukhumvit is anything to go by.

It amazes me nobody has been killed (probably have but I'm not aware of it) at this junction especially with the motorbikes that cross over to nernpluwaan against the flow of traffic after the traffic cops have dissappeared for the night and now to make it even worse with the concrete dividers that have been put there you know have the motorbikes driving a little way against the flow of traffic on sukhukmvit to get to nernplubwaan, absolute lunacy.

[Humphrey Bear]

No proper traffic training for driving tests.

No proper traffic engineers in City Hall

No common sense in any local driver.

No wonder traffic fatalities are among the highest in the world.

[egg6447]

Sinve these roads aren't finished and officially opeoened to road users, what happens if you have an accident? i.e. are you covered by insurance?

:lol : how old are you

[raro]

Sinve these roads aren't finished and officially opeoened to road users, what happens if you have an accident? i.e. are you covered by insurance?

:lol : how old are you

...rather: How long have you been here?

[farangtingtong]

I'm using the new bypass over the last 2 weeks, because of the reconstruction of Sukhumvit between Banglamung and Pattaya North Road.

It saves a lot of time, until you encounter the Bypass - Siam Country Club Road interesection: What a mess!!!!!

Turning right onto the Siam Country Club Road from the new Bypass Road is just a matter of: Survival of the Strongest; centimeter by centimeter you have to crawl forward and force yourself between the traffic coming from Sukhumvit and later on the same excercise for the traffic heading for Sukhumvit.

At that point there are basically 3 intersections on a stretch of 100 meter: 1st the railway tracks, 2nd the East side of the New Bypass and 3rd the West side of the New Bypass.

Drive on to the intersection with the New Bypass Road and Soi Neung Pleb Waan is even worse, because the New Bypass Road is there used as a motorbike parking for the local market.

But, it's still better than que up on Sukhumvit and avoiding the swirling and lane-switching fellows.

I just hold my breath if the New Bypass Roads are going to be opened officially.