Banchang Bypass Open?

[longball53098]

Ok I'll be the first to comment about the new bypass road around central Banchang. I have lived in the area for more than a year now and watched the slow, slow pace of work on this new road from Suk just west of Banchang all the way to the Maptaput Industrial area. In the last 6 months the road although not finished or officially open has been in use and getting busier by the week. As with most Thai construction projects the method used to plan and complete this project leaves one to wonder.

So now nearing the finish the folks who have been installing the traffic control signals at the main intersections decided late last week to put power to them for what I would believe to be operational test. Lo and behold the lights work and more unbelievable is most drivers including bikes are waiting at the stop lights. In fact yesterday we saw one guy on bike waiting when the light went green and had this very scared and puzzled look as to what to do next.

So the road is not really open yet but it is getting a lot of use. The traffic lights seem to be working and people are actually using them. At least during the several times I was there.

What are you're experiences with this new piece of blacktop? I think getting to Immigration is a snap now.

[QED]

Excellent road, although the traffic lights mean it's not quite as good a short cut now, they needed to be installed.

Talking to a local they reckon at least 6 people have died on bikes at those intersections, normally very late at night, and never reported.

Not really followed it out of BC, if you head towards Mapthaput how far does it go, and where does it end up?

A right turn to get onto it before you reach BC coming from Utapao would make it alot more usable, I live at Phayun and would be able to miss town altogether.

[Big Guns]

Yes the new bypass is officially open. It's a great shortcut for me in getting to Rayong or the Sukhumvit. Also its one of the few places I can open up my Kawasaki Er6n.

The only problem is the plonkers on small motorbikes who think its ok to ride the wrong way because they can't be arsed to go to the u-turn. If you blow your horn they turn round and look at you as if you are the crazy one

[PattayaParent]

It goes into the Asia Industrial Estate I think.

They're doing a lot of work expanding that at the moment and there's already too much traffic on Sukhumvit to handle the extra vehicles that will be on the road.

[longball53098]

Coming from Sattahip to enter this bypass they did not figure a right turn across Suk was necessary I guess so you must go past the road and catch the next very busy and dangerous U-Turn and come back to the entry. Once on this road it is nice driving to the first signal at the Phala/Tesco road then on to the main intersection of Banchang/Payoon road then a few more clicks to the Namrin road intersect. After that the next intersection is at the entry to Maptaput Industrial area U2 U3 road.

Lets hope the planners see the error in the design and add a right turn to the bypass from Suk. The signals were the last thing of major work so now its let her rip and then they will see the huge bottleneck they created at the Uturn in Banchang. I assume this was designed to relieve the heavy truck and commuter traffic on Suk through the Banchang city area but with no entry from Suk what's the point?

I add a modified map that shows my close guess as to the route of the new road.