Chalong Lights - This Month Switch On ?

[LivinginKata]

NBT TV news......

The meeting of related agencies to ease traffic congestion issues yesterday agreed to redesign the Chalong Circle junction located in the south of Phuket, and install traffic lights. The circle itself will be demolished and traffic lights installed instead. They agreed that the route to Chalong Pier will be treated as a lane or Soi where vehicles can enter as normal, but when coming out they must turn left southwards towards Rawai. If they want to go to Phuket City, they can make a U-turn in front of Muang Phuket School. The Phuket Highway Chief Saroj Suwinchai said after the conclusion today, the Highway Office will demolish the Chalong circle and re-adjust the surface as soon as possible. He hopes that it can ease traffic congestion soon during this rainy season. The Phuket Highway Office, which spent 100,000 baht on the project, expects that the traffic lights can operate by this month and that it would ease traffic flows. The hilly part of the road from Chalong Circle to Kata is also being currently expanded with extra lanes constructed.

[Zpete]

Believe it when I see them going.

[Quero]

Believe it when I see them going.

There is heavy machinery in what was once the circle. The fountain is history, and the base is being removed as I type this.

[chickencurry]

Yup, it has gone, and looks pretty chaotic.

[Zpete]

It was organised chaos before, now it will be disorganised bedlam.

Not normally a pessimist, but it will be fun for awhile.

Is the police box going too?

[LivinginKata]

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Chalong Circle: Going, going, gone…

A Chalong Police officer looks on as workers demolish the fountain that was the centerpiece of the roundabout.

PHUKET CITY: Instead of removing and preserving the fountain that has been the centerpiece of Chalong Circle for years, workers today demolished the landmark that local residents had affectionately nicknamed “the birdbath”.

The decision follows years of complaints of traffic jams at the critical southern junction.

However, progress on the decision whether or not to remove the roundabout stalled as it required input from at least the Provincial Highways Office, Rawai Municipality, Chalong Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), Chalong Traffic Police and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), which years ago funded and installed the fountain at the circle.

Tired of waiting for the project to move ahead, Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima on September 1 told Phuket Highways Office chief Saroj Suwinchai to speed up the project.

The heads of the government agencies involved met on Monday, and demolition work started today.

The demolition and removal is expected to be complete by tomorrow, including resurfacing the area with tarmac where the roundabout once stood.

The entire project will cost no more than 300,000 baht, Mr Saroj told the Gazette on Monday.

Traffic lights have been installed on all the major roads entering the junction: Patak Rd, Chao Fa East Rd, Chao Fa West Rd and Wiset Rd.

“Vehicles entering the junction from Chalong Pier will be forced to turn left onto Wiset Rd. They must do a U-turn and come back and wait at the lights to enter the junction again,” Mr Saroj had earlier explained to the Gazette.

The removal of Chalong Circle has been the source of much debate among foreigners living in the south of the island, and many foreigners have written to the Gazette over the years complaining that the only times when traffic tailbacks have formed at Chalong Circle have been when police or traffic lights have regulated traffic flow through the junction.

Changing the traffic flow at the junction also raises the problem of what to call the intersection, said Mr Saroj, as it had become famous as Ha Yaek Chalong, literally meaning “Chalong Five-ways.”

It will now become a “four-ways”, he said.

Some of the officers at the meeting were not convinced that removing Chalong Circle would be the solution to their traffic woes, with some officers suggesting that a roundabout be put back in the center of the junction if the this latest project fails to deliver the intended result.

[petitechevre]

thank god.. most drivers here thai/farang whatever.. have no idea whatsoever how to use a <deleted> circle...

how hard is it to understand that when someone is in the middle he's got priority

[HDRIDER]

Hi

About time

[steelepulse]

Just judging from my own personal experience here in LOS, Phuket, intersections without traffic lights seem to have a shorter wait then those that have lights.

[Sir Burr]

It'll be quicker for bikes and slower for cars. I ride a bike.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

You can borrow my car when i am offshore

[stevenl]

At the moment the circle brings no delays what so ever to motorbikes. The only delays: morning rush hour coming from Rawai and Phuket Town, afternoon rush hour coming from Phuket Town. The delays are noticeably bigger if the police is directing traffic.

My prediction: with traffic lights there will be delays coming from all directions, for cars and bikes. In 3 months the traffic lights will be abandoned.

[LivinginKata]

Just passed by this morning. Surprisingly small circle of dry concrete is all that remains. I think quite sad to see that fountain completely destroyed.

[Zpete]

Just passed by this morning. Surprisingly small circle of dry concrete is all that remains. I think quite sad to see that fountain completely destroyed.

It was a sacriledge to destroy the fountain, easily moved someplace else.

I said way back in Chalong Circle thread, round-a-bouts are great regulators of traffic.

Just waiting for the howls of drivers being delayed by the lights.

Imagine the "tea" money that's gunna be made.

[Kimera]

thank god.. most drivers here thai/farang whatever.. have no idea whatsoever how to use a <deleted> circle...

how hard is it to understand that when someone is in the middle he's got priority

True, they need to come from the UK millions of islands there, still not got the hang of the Thai. ones tho

[Wellington]

thank god.. most drivers here thai/farang whatever.. have no idea whatsoever how to use a <deleted> circle...

how hard is it to understand that when someone is in the middle he's got priority

True, they need to come from the UK millions of islands there, still not got the hang of the Thai. ones tho

What is needed are clear signs of PRIORITY from the right,and for the bikes to learn that they need to slow down ,not as I so often see, speed through the junction without a glance to right or left; and to hel_l with the cars and vans! traffic lights will certainly slow up all traffic, which may not be popular.

[LivinginKata]

I'm just back from Chalong circle and the lights are on. Result .... traffic backed way way up on all access roads. Absolute choas, and it was mid-day. We waited at least 4 light changes for Patak Rd traffic. Lots of police on each road, doing nothing about traffic jam, only good for collecting fines... Took the short cut back to miss Chalong circle.

[stevenl]

I'm just back from Chalong circle and the lights are on. Result .... traffic backed way way up on all access roads. Absolute choas, and it was mid-day. We waited at least 4 light changes for Patak Rd traffic. Lots of police on each road, doing nothing about traffic jam, only good for collecting fines... Took the short cut back to miss Chalong circle.

That was to be expected. I hear lots of moans from everybody. I guess we all know what the rush hour is going to bring today, I'm glad I don't have to pass there.

In an earlier post in this thread I gave the lights 3 months, that may have been too pessimistic, this way they won't last the week.

[LivinginKata]

Without doubt the light will be switched off at rush hour, indeed on another topic that has happened already. And it will be the usual no entry to Chofa East, just all file into Chofa West. What a joke. Bring back the fountain... bring back the fountain...

[Zpete]

New name for Chalong Circle.........

CHALONG CIRCUS

Piccadilly circus, and has worked for ever so long, no probs, why change Chalong, mind you, in actual fact, it was working very well.

Just a few impatient motorists whinging, now get what they deserve, so it seems.

Mind you, in Thailand, if it aint broke....

.......they will fix it till it is broke.........LOL

Time to start a "Bring back the fountain", protest

[keestha]

Always been a big fan of roundabouts, they keep the traffic flowing.

In the Netherlands, a country with a very high traffic density, intersections with traffic lights are being replaced by roundabouts all over the place.

[stuandchris]

OMG the new lights are fantastic, came up from rawai, the tailback went past the u turn for the chalong pier traffic which led to the usual Thai pushing in never mind the dint the car.

Police trying to work out how to stop people to get the tea money, total confusion.

This wasn't even rush hour. I am so glad I have time to burn it made my day. Sorry for people that have to work for a living.

[Quero]

Been through twice today. Lights were turned off. Cones were back up surrounding the old circle. Traffic flow was smooth.

[LivinginKata]

Been through twice today. Lights were turned off. Cones were back up surrounding the old circle. Traffic flow was smooth.

Ha ha ... typical Thai solution to a problem.... AND it saves electricity ....

P.S. and saves water also now that fountain is gone .... BRING BACK THE FOUNTAIN ....

Edited September 25, 2008 by LivinginKata

[jitagon]

The only thing wrong with Chalong Circle was the Locals' inability to navigate it. No driving lesson/test here includes this particular very necessary piece of traffic navigation. But in their own Thai Way, instead of putting signs up saying, em, let me see, 'give way from the left' 'hai tang sai bpai' easy nah? The Thai Way is simply to demolish the problem ... and erect another one.

[damian]

'give way from the left'

I hope you dont drive around it using this rule becasue its exactly what caused most of the problems in the first place.

Give way to your right mate!

[stevenl]

Doesn't give way to your right ends up being the same as give way (coming) from the left?

Except that give way to the right is easier to communicate?

[smartecosse]

yesterday lunchtime - lights on and 17 mins from 7-11 to get thru circle

today lights off and no queue

mmmmmmmmmmm

another waste of money and a landmark gone

still dont understand why they think u cannot have a circle WITH traffic lights, works every where else in the world

[Zpete]

yesterday lunchtime - lights on and 17 mins from 7-11 to get thru circle

today lights off and no queue

mmmmmmmmmmm

another waste of money and a landmark gone

still dont understand why they think u cannot have a circle WITH traffic lights, works every where else in the world

Most round a bouts in the world DO NOT have lites, work very well, traffic lites do not work according to traffic flows, THAT causes all the problems.

Wonder if fountain was smashed beyond repair

[JetsetBkk]

Doesn't give way to your right ends up being the same as give way (coming) from the left?

Except that give way to the right is easier to communicate?

I hope you don't drive, because