Superhighway Underpasses

[cdnvic]

I haven't seen anyone work on either of these things in a while now (At Chungpuak and also Doi Saket Rd). When are they supposed to be finished, or is this one of those "inactive posts"?

cv

[Ajarn]

This is from the Chiang Mai Mail yesterday....

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd1

Slow progress on flyovers draws complaints

Traffic jams and inconvenience to continue to April 2006

Saksit Meesubkwang

Chiangmai Mail has heard from many readers that no one appears to be responsible for construction at Kuang Singh and San Dek intersections on the superhighway, but much heavy equipment litters the scenes, causing traffic holdups. The situation has worsened since the new school term started, causing long queues at the intersections.

Chiangmai Mail tried many times to enquire of Chiang Mai Highway District 1, responsible for highways in Chiang Mai, and supervising contractors at both points, but were given a brush off until finally, with the cooperation of the Bureau of Highways, Bangkok, we learned that Jirasak Mekwichian was responsible for the construction at Kuang Singh intersection and Chalerm Lerdkul the San Dek intersection.

Jirasak Mekwichian said that the agent company ran out of money in January because metal and cement prices had increased, resulting in the company being unable to afford the materials. The company is now negotiating with a metal and cement supplier and construction was expected to re-start in June. The construction at Kuang Singh intersection is 40 percent complete and San Dek 35 percent; and both flyovers are allegedly on schedule to be completed by April 2006, as agreed in the contract.

He requested the residents to be patient and said he was monitoring the company who would not default on the contract and would be able to complete the projects as planned.

A representative from the company told Chiangmai Mail that they bid a low price for the project while spending much capital on reinforcing steel and cement and thus caused them cash flow difficulties.

The equipment used for construction, they said, was cheap second hand junk from China. We can only hope that the supervising engineers ensure that the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correct specification.

[cdnvic]

As I suspected.

This is gonna make the high season a real joy. Those intersections are bad enough when they're open, let alone blocked.

Thanks Ajarn

cv

[ovenman]

Jirasak Mekwichian said that the agent company ran out of money in January because metal and cement prices had increased, resulting in the company being unable to afford the materials.

This doesn't surprise me in the least. It's about what one should expect when construction commenced simultaneously on all of the various Chiang Mai ring road underpasses.

The equipment used for construction, they said, was cheap second hand junk from China. We can only hope that the supervising engineers ensure that the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correct specification.

One lives in hope...

[maerim]

The equipment used for construction, they said, was cheap second hand junk from China. We can only hope that the supervising engineers ensure that the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correct specification.

Cheap second hand junk eh?

Nice to know no expense has not been spared on equipment.

As to " we can only hope the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correce specifications"

I will be using this road providing it is completed before my expiry date, so I am hoping as well that the stuff used in construction is up to scratch.

[Johpa]

A representative from the company told Chiangmai Mail that they bid a low price for the project while spending much capital on reinforcing steel and cement and thus caused them cash flow difficulties.

The equipment used for construction, they said, was cheap second hand junk from China. We can only hope that the supervising engineers ensure that the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correct specification.

Ah how history likes to repeat itself in Chiang Mai too. My guess it is yet another case where the winning contractor takes the money and runs despite having bought cheao second hand junk" from China. Same thing happened when they first tried to improve the highway between Mae Rim and Chiang Mai back in the mid 1980s, the first of the feeder highways into the city to get upgraded. The original contractor tore up the old two lane road and then basically disappeared claiming they had run out of funds. So for a few years the residents had a two lane road that, depending upon the season, alternated between red dust and red mud.

[PeaceBlondie]

It reminds me of the urban pedestrian tunnel they built around our Federal Building when they were connecting the tunnel to the new Federal Court building. We could still see the grafitti the high schoolers had painted on there many years before. They were using old bridge girders from upstate! It would be nice to know how well that tunnel held up when a certain psychopath bombed that Court house - it was named after Judge Alfred Murrah of Oklahoma City.

If you ride a motorbike through those intersections, it's not bad. I can do the first 9 or 10 kilometers of the superhighway, almost to the San Kampaeng flyover, in 16 minutes. Y'all do cross the Ping River at 110kph, don't you?

[Ajarn]

If you ride a motorbike through those intersections, it's not bad.  I can do the first 9 or 10 kilometers of the superhighway, almost to the San Kampaeng flyover, in 16 minutes.  Y'all do cross the Ping River at 110kph, don't you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't find the experience so bad even in a car. The main problem spot is around the chotana intersection, but it always seems to be moving pretty steady, even during rush hour.

One thing I've noticed is that it seems that most of the traffic that used to come up chotana from the south and continue north through the super intersection, now seems to be going another way... Any of that traffic is now forced to loop around and approach again from the West, but I never see many cars turning left again at chotana to go north again... Maybe more are using the canal road to get to Mae Rim from downtown now? I see a lot more traffic on that road since they finished paving the section that hooks up to Chotana road and the beginning of the outer ring road (hiway 121, I believe), which is already having serious road condition problems just a couple of years after opening...

[ovenman]

I see a lot more traffic on that road since they finished paving the section that hooks up to Chotana road and the beginning of the outer ring road (hiway 121, I believe), which is already having serious road condition problems just a couple of years after opening...

The short section of the outer ring road (Highway 121) from the Chotana Road (Highway 107) junction heading east across the Ping River is in absolutely horrible condition. It would be interesting to know what was done wrong with the initial construction so as to lead to such rapid deterioration.

Speaking of that section of ring road, does anybody know why the bridge that crosses the Ping River was built as a two-lane? It's obvious that the outer ring road is a candidate for a future four-lane upgrade. Seems like they could have saved some serious coin by making the bridge a little bit wider during the initial construction phase. What is strange about this (to me anyway) is that the Ping River bridge on the Mae Jo-Mae Rim crossover highway that is further north was rebuilt as a four-lane bridge about five years back and there's no indication the road itself will be made a four-lane anytime soon.

[maerim]

The equipment used for construction, they said, was cheap second hand junk from China. We can only hope that the supervising engineers ensure that the new supplier will supply steel and cement to the correct specification.

I have read this several times now and I am wondering if this the dawn of a new age here?

Somone actually telling the truth for once.

Cheap second hand junk! I have not smiled so much since the other evening when I saw a drunk on a pushbike ride into a ditch full of muddy water.

[Ricardo]

Good for 'Chiang Mai Mail' - First with the news !

I just love the way they quote the 'Chinese equipment is cheap junk' line, with a straight face

[jackr]

Thought it was all supposed to be finished within 6 months from originally starting work . Good idea in theory but there's going to be a nasty bottle neck somewhere when it's all finished. Talking of balls-ups, Thanon Thapae is still a higgledy-piggledy eye sore and impossible to hair down without a scrambler nowadays

[Ajarn]

I see a lot more traffic on that road since they finished paving the section that hooks up to Chotana road and the beginning of the outer ring road (hiway 121, I believe), which is already having serious road condition problems just a couple of years after opening...

The short section of the outer ring road (Highway 121) from the Chotana Road (Highway 107) junction heading east across the Ping River is in absolutely horrible condition. It would be interesting to know what was done wrong with the initial construction so as to lead to such rapid deterioration.

As soon as that road opened to traffic, there were already dips in the road, I assume, from poor base prep. But that section is already worse now than the Mae Jo road ever was in any spot. A couple of nights ago, I entered that section from Mae Rim direction, going a normal 100 or so.. Way too fast for the conditon it's in now, just from the week before.... There's another dip closer to the Mae jo intersection that put my back out for a couple of weeks. Time to slow down, sad to say.

I'm wondering if the fact that many of these roads are built over old paddies, and that these areas have a higher water table, maybe, so that could contribute to long-term problems? That concrete section of CM-Doi Saket road, built 10 years ago, is still the best road around, I think. Built by Chiang Mai Construction, of Newin Chichob Family fame... They also built an extension on the MHS airport at that time, but that didn't go so well... Seems that the old river (that was filled in and erased from official maps to simplify land document issues) began to flow again under the new runway.

Speaking of that section of ring road, does anybody know why the bridge that crosses the Ping River was built as a two-lane? It's obvious that the outer ring road is a candidate for a future four-lane upgrade. Seems like they could have saved some serious coin by making the bridge a little bit wider during the initial construction phase. What is strange about this (to me anyway) is that the Ping River bridge on the Mae Jo-Mae Rim crossover highway that is further north was rebuilt as a four-lane bridge about five years back and there's no indication the road itself will be made a four-lane anytime soon.

I parked on the 121 bridge once to take some photos, and as any truck went by, I felt like I was on a trampoline, or a suspension bridge....BIG bouncing

How many years of construction on that 121 bridge? Seems like I remember it being a project for many years...10? I used to cruise into the construction site on my bike for look-see... Like you suggested, it's clear that this will be popular for any traffic wanting to avoid Chiang Mai. It should be two lanes each way now, in my estimation.

And concrete

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[davidgtr]

What I think is real interesting is that the middle ring road (R3029) belongs to the Dept. of Rural Roads, & the outer ring road (R121) thru the rice paddies belongs to the Highways Dept.

Wonder what's going on / has gone on there?

You'd also think that the Dept. of Rural roads would have lower standards (& there's lots of evidence of that around in the mountains) than the real Highways Dept, so why is R121 in such shit condition?

They only just finished R121, when they started to dig up some of the junctions & do away with the U-Turns. Brilliant government planning eh? No idea of what's going on or long term planning - just award a contract & take the money maybe?

[ovenman]

They only just finished R121, when they started to dig up some of the junctions & do away with the U-Turns. Brilliant government planning eh? No idea of what's going on or long term planning - just award a contract & take the money maybe?

The way some of this work is done makes it look like the Highways Dept. lives hand to mouth, spending money as fast as it reaches their coffers. It made no sense whatsoever to not put in the traffic light junctions for Highway 121 at both Highway 1001 (Chiang Mai-Mai Jo) and Highway 118 (Chiang Mai-Doi Saket) along with the initial construction. When they did not build either junction initially, I thought that they were holding out for more expensive underpasses/flyovers. Why wait for several months of daily accidents in all directions before opting for the cheaply built controlled intersection that could have been done quickly in the first place?

Another great example of quick, cheap, poor-quality work is the highway that was built last year along the railroad tracks from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. Connections with any of the ring roads at some point...?

[Ajarn]

Another great example of quick, cheap, poor-quality work is the highway that was built last year along the railroad tracks from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. Connections with any of the ring roads at some point...?

That is one DANGEROUS road! Too narrow, no shoulder, lots of uncontrolled cross-traffic, pedestrians and vendors in traffic.... I've been on it during the day, only. I wouldn't want to be on that road at night...

I. too, was surprised when they started construction on that 121/Mae jo intersection. Like you, I 'd thought they were planning a flyover/under....

Long ######ing waits at all these new intersections, it seems to me. Maybe if they had those timing devices like in Chiang Rai, I might gain more patience.

At least they don't have cops 'helping' at those intersections- except for those days they're at the intersections helping to relieve motorists of their baht

[ovenman]

Another great example of quick, cheap, poor-quality work is the highway that was built last year along the railroad tracks from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. Connections with any of the ring roads at some point...?

That is one DANGEROUS road! Too narrow, no shoulder, lots of uncontrolled cross-traffic, pedestrians and vendors in traffic.... I've been on it during the day, only. I wouldn't want to be on that road at night...

From what I know of that project, it was one of Mr. Big's ideas. The construction was rushed so that the Big guy himself could preside over the opening ceremony in time for the Queen's birthday last year. I motorbiked the length of that road around last Christmas. The amount of patch already used and sections already replaced was remarkable. The condition of the road surface made it appear to be ten years old, not merely four months! It looks like the construction of the second side of that highway on the west-side of the railway tracks has been all-but-abandoned. As far as I know, work has still not commenced on any of the junctions that would connect this new road to any of the three ring roads. I suppose now that the photo-op has passed, there's no pressing need to finish up the project?

On the topic of underpasses and the ring roads, does anybody have an idea why there is no junction between the middle ring road where it passes under the old Chiang Mai-Lamphun road (Highway 106)?

[PeaceBlondie]

That new, poorly built, narrow road that passes through Lamphun on the east side of the tracks is so obviously dangerous that the locals all advise not to go on it. Last time I checked, there were no stop signs!