Central Traffic Fiasco

[madmitch]

If your headed south anytime between 5pm and 7pm. Its hell as you reach The Point opposite the Hospital.

Took me 45 mins from there to crossing the lights at the intersection.

Seconded. It's so frustrating because I feel something could be done to ease this congestion at peak times. Perhaps giving priority at the lights would help?

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Priority at the lights would only screw up the traffic from the other directions even more.

How about an underpass?

[LivinginKata]

Priority at the lights would only screw up the traffic from the other directions even more.

How about an underpass?

[noob7]

Back to the original topic. Recently I have been forced to use the bypass road past central a number of times during peak periods. Quite honestly I found that traffic was flowing quite nicely. No delays at all.

You must have been lucky. 30 minutes from Tesco to the Central lights last time I used it. Traffic backed up as far as Headstart school travelling east, northbound traffic pretty much at a standstill along past Phrompan (no change really!) and unsure about the road from Phuket Town.

Or am I just unlucky? NB I usually use alternative routes though sometimes have no option.

You may have hit the new try, to give south and northbound single green lights, after each other. I saw it twice, could'nt believe it.

The traffic north was all lanes on green, but stucked in the junction, the traffic south was still on red lights. After the 'guy' decided, to turn northbound lights to red, the southbound got green.

Maybe they expect more people to pass, as long all 3 lanes (include the turn rights) can be used for crossing the juntion.

Learning by doing? (just kidding)

[Valentine]

I am sure many of you have sat at the lights looking towards Chao Fa West & see the traffic at a standstill backed up to the Y junction. How the underpass is going to solve this problem is beyond me. Until they tackle the issue of all the feeder roads I.e. widen them, do not allow parking on the inside lane anywhere outside Supercheap, ice shops etc, there will always be an escalating traffic problem.

[steelepulse]

I am sure many of you have sat at the lights looking towards Chao Fa West & see the traffic at a standstill backed up to the Y junction. How the underpass is going to solve this problem is beyond me. Until they tackle the issue of all the feeder roads I.e. widen them, do not allow parking on the inside lane anywhere outside Supercheap, ice shops etc, there will always be an escalating traffic problem.

It's not going to help much except line the pockets of the local politicians and the main contractor. Flyovers, wider roads, more intelligent drivers, traffic enforcement and less vehicles are the only real solution.......................Then I woke up and realized where I am. None of the above suggestions/improvements are coming in the foreseeable future.

[Kernow86]

If your headed south anytime between 5pm and 7pm. Its hell as you reach The Point opposite the Hospital.

Took me 45 mins from there to crossing the lights at the intersection.

Seconded. It's so frustrating because I feel something could be done to ease this congestion at peak times. Perhaps giving priority at the lights would help?

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Priority at the lights would only screw up the traffic from the other directions even more.

How about an underpass?

Who cares about the other directions? I'm not coming from them.

[eezergood]

If your headed south anytime between 5pm and 7pm. Its hell as you reach The Point opposite the Hospital.

Took me 45 mins from there to crossing the lights at the intersection.

Seconded. It's so frustrating because I feel something could be done to ease this congestion at peak times. Perhaps giving priority at the lights would help?

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Mercedes, BMW, Porsche & Black Fortuners all get priority!

[Shot]

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

The only reason for doing that, would be to make a right heading for Patong. I hate that intersection, especially when crossing traffic. Too many crazies . I'll wait for the light.

Edited February 3, 2013 by Shot

[LivinginKata]

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

The only reason for doing that, would be to make a right heading for Patong. I hate that intersection, especially when crossing traffic. Too many crazies . I'll wait for the light.

That makes no sense. If going to Patong then take the right turn at the Lotus traffic lights.

[Shot]

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

The only reason for doing that, would be to make a right heading for Patong. I hate that intersection, especially when crossing traffic. Too many crazies . I'll wait for the light.

That makes no sense. If going to Patong then take the right turn at the Lotus traffic lights.

True. I guess thats my point. Why go that road, just to turn left and right back into the traffic?

Edited February 3, 2013 by Shot

[LivinginKata]

True. I guess thats my point. Why go that road, just to turn left and right back into the traffic?

For me, I use that turn to go into Big C or Makro or the Farang Restuarant.

[hansgruber]

If you can make it to home works there is a great shortcut.

Turn into the Soi just before the homeworks property which takes you behind that complex and spits you out next to the football stadium.

End up using the road behind the Dara hotel which is relatively traffic free.

Cuts out the construction and the lights.

Keep it a secret guys>_>

[Valentine]

If you can make it to home works there is a great shortcut.

Turn into the Soi just before the homeworks property which takes you behind that complex and spits you out next to the football stadium.

End up using the road behind the Dara hotel which is relatively traffic free.

Cuts out the construction and the lights.

Keep it a secret guys>_>

Looking at the line up sometimes it will take quite a while just to get to that shortcut by which time you should not have long to wait to keep going straight when the lights turn green. Also when you get to the lights at the stadium green is normally only on for a very short time. Best bet is to turn right at Tesco, head to Kathu & take the road to the Honda dealer although there can a bit of a jam around the university at certain times. A friend told me he took 35 minutes to get past the stretch from Tesco to Central just recently. It has never taken me longer than 5 minutes but I have not been through there since they cut back to one lane.

[hansgruber]

If you can make it to home works there is a great shortcut.

Turn into the Soi just before the homeworks property which takes you behind that complex and spits you out next to the football stadium.

End up using the road behind the Dara hotel which is relatively traffic free.

Cuts out the construction and the lights.

Keep it a secret guys>_>

Looking at the line up sometimes it will take quite a while just to get to that shortcut by which time you should not have long to wait to keep going straight when the lights turn green. Also when you get to the lights at the stadium green is normally only on for a very short time. Best bet is to turn right at Tesco, head to Kathu & take the road to the Honda dealer although there can a bit of a jam around the university at certain times. A friend told me he took 35 minutes to get past the stretch from Tesco to Central just recently. It has never taken me longer than 5 minutes but I have not been through there since they cut back to one lane.

It seems it banks up mostly just past the hospital where the 3 lanes become 2. That's right where that shortcut is.

Instead of waiting the 30 mins usually to clear that site and lights. Now I can be through in 10 mins and down to the next lights near naka markets.

It works. Try it.

[Pollywaffle]

Just saw the latest - the pedestrian bridge from Central to Homeworks is coming down (temporarily, a couple of months???) and Songtaew every 15 minutes will transport people to and from. The U-turn opposite Index is opening again which should allow easier access to Big C and the other entrance to Central via the back road. Will still be a nightmare trip, unless you travel early morning or late at night the worst time being from lunch time to about 7pm!!!

[hansgruber]

The footbridge loss will be huge to congestion. People will be trying their luck running across that road and it will also create more parking problems in central.

I used to park in homeworks and cross the footbridge.

[stevehaigh]

If your headed south anytime between 5pm and 7pm. Its hell as you reach The Point opposite the Hospital.

Took me 45 mins from there to crossing the lights at the intersection.

Seconded. It's so frustrating because I feel something could be done to ease this congestion at peak times. Perhaps giving priority at the lights would help?

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

yes, i tried and it was worse than keeping going because turning right the central lights coming from macro direction is just as bad

i notice they have block all but 1 1/2 lanes now all the way to the lights coming south. bad times ahead.

[madmitch]

Quickly looked this morning while turning right from Makro direction and it looked like one lane northbound!

[petercallen]

Try touring by road around Thailand, in the last three months we have done three trips, chonburi, bridge on the river quai then over to burriram, chang mai and chang rai

In all the major towns the traffic jams are as bad and probably worse than Phuket even on the bypass roads

Watched a documentry on TV , in india 2 hours to travel 2KLM, in every country we have visited there are traffic jams in busy periods

some a lot worse than Phuket

[madmitch]

Quickly looked this morning while turning right from Makro direction and it looked like one lane northbound!

Wrong, still 2 lanes. Optical illusion!

[Guest]

Quickly looked this morning while turning right from Makro direction and it looked like one lane northbound!

Wrong, still 2 lanes. Optical illusion!

1 lane in the morning and 2 lanes in the evening. Drink and driving, aren't you?

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Follow the yellow brick road to the south...

[Valentine]

<snip>

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Follow the yellow brick road to the south...

It is a shambles around 5pm making the U turn when you get out which disrupts traffic both ways due in no small part to Kajonkiet & more vehicles using that route.

Edited February 5, 2013 by Valentine

[LivinginKata]

Follow the yellow brick road to the south...

I often use that route going North. These days it's quite a queue at the traffic lights where you exit onto the main road. Queue backed up all the way to the university this Monday, many light changes before we got through, maybe a 20 minute wait.

[Valentine]

Follow the yellow brick road to the south...

I often use that route going North. These days it's quite a queue at the traffic lights where you exit onto the main road. Queue backed up all the way to the university this Monday, many light changes before we got through, maybe a 20 minute wait.

That could easily be alleviated by widening the turn giving more room for "turn left when safe".

[madmitch]

<snip>

Is anyone making a U-turn at Phuket International Hospital and then taking the road behind Big C?

Follow the yellow brick road to the south...

It is a shambles around 5pm making the U turn when you get out which disrupts traffic both ways due in no small part to Kajonkiet & more vehicles using that route.

You're right, especially when certain drivers decide that there should be two u-turn lanes which makes the traffic worse for everyone. Last night a truck carrying some sort of crane used this u-turn and took two or three minutes to make it.

They need a proper turning at Honda now, not the u-turn, even though it would mean 3 sets of lights very close to each other. It has become much busier in recent weeks. I wonder why?

[petercallen]

Building a underpass at central is only going to cause bigger traffic jams further south on Chaofa west road which is already happening

Before you know it they will be talking about building a overpass at the Honda dealer

[Felt 35]

Maybe its been mentioned and observed already( I have not been in the area for at least 10 -14 days), but tonight I saw there was a new u-turn, going South from Tesco its exactly opposite the backroad to Big C or the rear entrance to Index.

[JetsetBkk]

It is a shambles around 5pm making the U turn when you get out which disrupts traffic both ways due in no small part to Kajonkiet & more vehicles using that route.

Agreed. 4pm is my deadline to get there.

I did go past there at about 6pm recently - straight down the bypass road, not via Muang Chao Fah road - and the side heading north was like a slightly wobbly car park. And, of course, no one heading south was letting anybody do the U-turn.

I often use that route going North. These days it's quite a queue at the traffic lights where you exit onto the main road. Queue backed up all the way to the university this Monday, many light changes before we got through, maybe a 20 minute wait.

Hmm. I've never met more than about 3 cars when going north, but haven't gone that way for several weeks. Maybe more people are trying it.

On second thoughts... you are going the exact route I showed, so that you come out at the first traffic lights west of Central? You can go further around to come out at the second set of lights, as per the red route:

.

[LivinginKata]

@JetsetBKK

Quite right - I was talking about your (now) red route. Never considered that yellow route, worth a shot. Tell you next time I try.