No More Dolphin "round-A-Bout"

[OMGImInPattaya]

The dolphin roundabout at the north pattaya road and Nablus road intersection is no more. The powers that be who decide these things have decided in their infinite wisdom to permanently block it so that traffic from Naklua road is routed left up north pattaya road. They have replaced the movable metal traffic dividers with permanent cement lane dividers.

Traffic coming down north pattaya road can continue to circle around to Nablus road or continue on to beach road.

[kevkev1888]

Have they left a gap for motorbikes to pass through?

[Spoonman]

Nablus Road, is that same same as Naklua Road ??

[HoudiniXLogic]

Have they left a gap for motorbikes to pass through?

You know the locals can and will DIY a motorbike pass anywhere. When I'm in a car they're grievously annoying, but when I'm driving the motorbike and see an illegal motorbike u-turn (and the next legal u-turn is 3 kms away), I usually consider it especially if needed.

[seasia]

Have they left a gap for motorbikes to pass through?

It appears not.

I noticed 2 motorbikes the other night go the wrong way through it to avoid having to turn left up pattaya nua.

They were coming from naklua road on to Beach Road, merely sped through the wrong way.

There will be more accidents there.

[gmac]

Nablus Road, is that same same as Naklua Road ??

Spell check/auto corrupt on Apple ipad did it for me one time.........you type Naklua but Apple knows better!!

[Asiantravel]

So who has the right of way now? Those on the now defunct roundabout or those on second Road?

[OMGImInPattaya]

Have they left a gap for motorbikes to pass through?

You know the locals can and will DIY a motorbike pass anywhere. When I'm in a car they're grievously annoying, but when I'm driving the motorbike and see an illegal motorbike u-turn (and the next legal u-turn is 3 kms away), I usually consider it especially if needed.

No they sealed it up tight...I suspect specifically to keep out bikes. No opening it up unless they can move a concrete traffic barrier.

[OMGImInPattaya]

So traffic is now a total cock-up as all the traffic from Naklua Road that used to continue around the round-a-bout ( I would estimate 50-60% of the southbound traffic volume) now is forced left onto north pattaya road and has to make a u-turn at either the first dedicated u-turn on the right or the light controlled intersection shortly after. The light is very short so little of the beach road bound traffic makes it through per cycle and therefore backs up a long way. This, combined with all the <deleted> tour busses making a right at the light...well, it's just a holy mess!

It just took me 30 minutes from exiting Fairtex gym to merge to the right and make the turn at the light and make my way slowly down to the Markland. I wonder if this whole traffic change has anything to do with the girl getting killed recently at this intersection.

[Spoonman]

Its been like that for a long while now, used to be temp gates.... not sure why it now having concrete would make it sooooo much worse ?

[Farang0tang]

Thailand traffic: (sigh) One massive cluster-fc#k

Edited April 7, 2013 by Farang0tang

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Goal is probably to discourage through-traffic on beach road. Because once you're all the way up North Pattaya road you might as well use Third Road.

That and that locals couldn't use a roundabout properly even if their lives depended on it. In theory they're faster than traffic light intersections, but that's only if everyone cooperates.

[JSixpack]

Maybe that accident the other day in which a go-go dancer died after colliding w/ a dump truck was the last straw. The chalk markings from that accident are still there.

And there are a lot of accidents there for the obvious reason.

Still, this may be temporary and related to the new construction. We'll see. It'll be there for the near future at least.

Too bad no space left for us bikers. Yet nowadays like as not if I'm going that direction I'll just avoid Beach Rd anyway and go behind Big C and onto Soi 12 leading into Pattaya Klang, and then onto Soi Buakeow.

[Potosi]

So who has the right of way now? Those on the now defunct roundabout or those on second Road?

Traffic coming from North Pattaya Road, from the right. Always been that.

Did they also close the gap in the traffic island just a few hundreds of metres up the North-Pattaya Road, coming from the roundabout? And the gap to Phettrakul street behind Festival Center? Coming from Naklua and near the roundabout you can still turn right to Soi22, down the street, left, left, come up on the Soi24, and turn right to Beach Road.

[stoli]

Have they left a gap for motorbikes to pass through?

Nope

[stoli]

Its been like that for a long while now, used to be temp gates.... not sure why it now having concrete would make it sooooo much worse ?

Because with the metal railings they always left a gap for a motorcycle to go through. No longer. Yesterday the first u-turn at Nua had 40 vehicles in line to make a u-turn. Went to 3rd Road and they closed it of with ropes when I got there. Just went to Sukumvit.

[gmac]

Its been like that for a long while now, used to be temp gates.... not sure why it now having concrete would make it sooooo much worse ?

Because with the metal railings they always left a gap for a motorcycle to go through. No longer. Yesterday the first u-turn at Nua had 40 vehicles in line to make a u-turn. Went to 3rd Road and they closed it of with ropes when I got there. Just went to Sukumvit.

They really do know how to make a bad situation worse don't they!

[Jayroo]

Must be because of that Agogo dancer that got killed at the roundabout last week.

[jbrain]

Its been like that for a long while now, used to be temp gates.... not sure why it now having concrete would make it sooooo much worse ?

Because with the metal railings they always left a gap for a motorcycle to go through. No longer. Yesterday the first u-turn at Nua had 40 vehicles in line to make a u-turn. Went to 3rd Road and they closed it of with ropes when I got there. Just went to Sukumvit.

They must be quite desperate to create traffic jams during low season, though they do a tremendous job on that by overriding the traffic lights on Pattaya klang.

Seems the coppers located on Nua road wanted their very own traffic congestion

[OMGImInPattaya]

I'm no traffic engineer, but maybe the answer is to just rip-out the roundabout and make it a 3-way lighted intersection...when green on North Pattaya traffic flows to Beach Road or Naklua Road; when green on Naklua, traffic flows either to Beach or right onto North Pattaya Road; and when green on Second Road it flows left towards the beach or straight onto Naklua Road or right to North Pattaya Road.

[jbrain]

I'm no traffic engineer, but maybe the answer is to just rip-out the roundabout and make it a 3-way lighted intersection...when green on North Pattaya traffic flows to Beach Road or Naklua Road; when green on Naklua, traffic flows either to Beach or right onto North Pattaya Road; and when green on Second Road it flows left towards the beach or straight onto Naklua Road or right to North Pattaya Road.

I recall when they made 2nd road one way several years ago, they installed traffic lights at the roundabout. Think it wasn't a success.