Udon Road Warning!

[Mai Krap]

Anyone who is traveling on the highway between Udon and Sakon Nakhon needs to follow extreme caution. They have been doing construction for some time and have now completed most of the 4 lane road for the first 20+ kilometers. The danger is the road diverts back and forth with not much if any warning and people are driving at full speed going in both directions on both sides of the highway. To further compound the problem there is no shoulder on the road and very few lines on the black asphalt. The current situation is such that I have sworn not to drive down this road for at least the next 6 months or longer.

Last night we came upon a horrible accident, certainly the people were broken and possibly killed, the truck absolutely destroyed and currently there are multiple places covered in shattered glass which we saw today that indicate other head on collisions. The road was already horribly dangerous and has a reputation for causing the death of many people, I suspect that during Songkran 2008 it will be one if not the deadliest roads in Thailand. Please be very careful and take it easy if you have to drive here, In five years of driving here I have not witnessed a worse situation.

[khunandy]

Anyone who is traveling on the highway between Udon and Sakon Nakhon needs to follow extreme caution. They have been doing construction for some time and have now completed most of the 4 lane road for the first 20+ kilometers. The danger is the road diverts back and forth with not much if any warning and people are driving at full speed going in both directions on both sides of the highway. To further compound the problem there is no shoulder on the road and very few lines on the black asphalt. The current situation is such that I have sworn not to drive down this road for at least the next 6 months or longer.

Last night we came upon a horrible accident, certainly the people were broken and possibly killed, the truck absolutely destroyed and currently there are multiple places covered in shattered glass which we saw today that indicate other head on collisions. The road was already horribly dangerous and has a reputation for causing the death of many people, I suspect that during Songkran 2008 it will be one if not the deadliest roads in Thailand. Please be very careful and take it easy if you have to drive here, In five years of driving here I have not witnessed a worse situation.

Thank you for your report Mai Krap, although I dont use that road myself the hwy running west from Khon Kaen has been under construction for a couple of years now and also has many hazards.

Any danger spots posted by Thai Visa users may be a useful contribution.

Khun Andy

[mpdkorat]

Anyone who is traveling on the highway between Udon and Sakon Nakhon needs to follow extreme caution. They have been doing construction for some time and have now completed most of the 4 lane road for the first 20+ kilometers. The danger is the road diverts back and forth with not much if any warning and people are driving at full speed going in both directions on both sides of the highway. To further compound the problem there is no shoulder on the road and very few lines on the black asphalt. The current situation is such that I have sworn not to drive down this road for at least the next 6 months or longer.

Last night we came upon a horrible accident, certainly the people were broken and possibly killed, the truck absolutely destroyed and currently there are multiple places covered in shattered glass which we saw today that indicate other head on collisions. The road was already horribly dangerous and has a reputation for causing the death of many people, I suspect that during Songkran 2008 it will be one if not the deadliest roads in Thailand. Please be very careful and take it easy if you have to drive here, In five years of driving here I have not witnessed a worse situation.

I was driving with friends along this stretch last week at night and we nearly hit a a diversion sign which was not lit up. The car behind hit it. Very dangerous stretch of road at the moment.

[Patriot]

Thanks for the warning.

My wife has just driven back from Sakhon (pm of the 14th) and apparently the road is finished; no contraflow, but just have the all important white lines to paint.

[tartempion]

Finished???

No sir, opened for traffic on Songkran to avoid more deaths.

I drove from Nong Han to Udon and back last night.

Half of it still needs final black top.

Had one car coming in wrong direction, looked drunk, pick-up loaded with people

Some white lines where black top is final.

On the way back had an other drunken idiot swivelling on both lanes and beyond

Guess will need one more month to complete (I drive this road at least once aweek)

[rockyysdt]

Thanks for the tip Mai Krap.

With the exception of coastal resorts I'm new to driving in Thaland and will be traveling on this route in a week.

It's sounds like road construction and road safety in this country isn't very professional.

I've seen many things in my prevoius travels which suggest Thailand is in the 18th century when it comes to occupational and road safety.

On my last trip a bloke was working on cables in a manhole on a busy roadway.

He was sitting in the hole with his head sticking above the road level with nothing but a small metal frame barrier erected a foot away from the hole. No warning sign erected ahead of the manhole and no stop go guy. The worker probably thinks the little metal frame will stop the truck which comes around the bend and doesn't see him.

Which reminds me of the loser who was up a ladder working on the power lines. The bottom of the ladder was straddled across a narrow, busy roadway, again with no warning sign alerting drivers.

I don't think many here have heard of occupational health and safety.

I'll travel on the Udon to Nakhon road with care. It's the other road users I have no control over who worry me.

Edited April 16, 2008 by rockyysdt