Airport Link set to cause city traffic nightmare

BANGKOK: -- Heavy traffic jams on Phetchaburi, Rama IX, Asoke-Din Daeng and nearby roads are the price of construction of the new electric train to link the inner city and Suvarnabhumi airport.

The elevated railway is being built along Kamphaeng Phet 7 road, which has been permanently closed.

Pol Maj-Gen Panu Kerdlarppol, Bangkok traffic police chief, said yesterday that the closure of Kamphaeng Phet 7 road, which is parallel to Bangkok's eastern railway track, had started on Tuesday and caused inevitable and terrible traffic congestion. The impact is severe on Phetchaburi and Rama IX roads parallel to Kam-phaeng Phet 7 road.

He said Kamphaeng Phet 7 road had helped to relieve traffic on Phetchaburi and Rama IX roads for years as it served thousands of vehicles a day. As it is blocked, morning traffic congestion which used to disappear from Phetchaburi and Rama IX roads at about 8am now lasts beyond 9.30am and has even spread to Ram-khamhaeng road.

Even after the 28km Airport Link railway is completed in the next 33 months, Kamphaeng Phet 7 road cannot be reopened because the giant pillars of the elevated railway system will virtually block the four-lane road.

From Tuesday, traffic is completely closed from Phetcha-uthai junction to Phetchaphraram junction. On July 15 the road will be partly closed (two lanes next to the railway track) from Asoke-Din Daeng to Phetcha-uthai and completely closed from Kasem Bundit University to Seri Housing Estate.

On July 25, the partial closure (also two lanes next to the railway track) will expand from Klong Tan to Kasem Bundit University.

Closure from Phaya Thai to Ratchaprarop will be next month but has not been finalised yet pending negotiations with communities along the route.

--Bangkok Post 2005-07-07

Should this thread not be joined to the one about why I love to live in Bangkok?

I live up country.