Asoke Montri Road residents oppose BMA elevated road

[Lite Beer]

Asoke Montri Road residents oppose BMA elevated road
Thanapat Kitjakosol
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Resident living near Asoke Montri Road, formerly known as Sukhumvit 21 Road, are campaigning against a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration project to build a 4km, eight-lane elevated road over it, citing the pollution impact on them and commuters.

Campaigners criticised the BMA, which wanted to alleviate heavy traffic congestion from this bottleneck road, for relying on an outdated principle which should have been materialised in 1962 when the road was to be incorporated into the present-day Inner Ring Road consisting of Ratchaphisek Road and either new or existing streets.

A leader of the Rak Asok group, Kittiphan Jaidee, said an elevated ramp could have been built 51 years ago when this Inner Ring Road project was initiated. He said this Bt5-billion project was not a foolproof solution to tackle the congestion problem at this bottleneck. Apart from pollution, which will occur when exhaust fumes from cars running under the inverted U-shaped tunnel are blocked, intoxicating pedestrians and residents living in shophouses along the road, the project would also bring down prices of land in the area, regarded as one of Bangkok's prime locations.

The proposed project starts at Rama IX intersection, along the north-south Ratchadaphisek path intersecting Rama IX Road, and ends at Rama IV intersection where the path intersects Sukhumvit Road. It will require a huge amount of land, as Bt2 billion of the entire project cost is earmarked for land expropriation.

He said there had been no such a large-sized project in modern metropolitan cities, and governments in developed countries were instead turning to build or further expand public transport to serve city commuters rather than build more roads or elevated ramps in already crowded capitals. A consortium of consulting companies had also lied to the public that they had organised mandatory public hearings, Kittiphan said, adding: "They just held minor meetings of people but told the public that these meetings were public hearings that were held completely."

Letters were sent out to 248 people whose land would be expropriated, he said, citing the firms' claims, but 205 people turned up. Only 74 people answered the questionnaire and 86 per cent of them disapproved of the project.

Kittiphan said he and other campaigners would petition the Central Administrative Court, seeking to halt the project, citing their civil rights recognised under the Constitution's Article 57.

A senior engineer with Arsom Silp Institute of Arts, Choowit Sujachaya, said the Asoke Montri elevated road project was useless. He said the inverted U-shaped structure with eight lanes would act like a box trapping toxic fumes, harming pedestrians, motorcyclists and commuters in non-air-conditioned city buses. "The project simply overlooks ways of improving the life of residents their health and environment," he added.

Bangkok has total road length of 5,400km, while 5 million sedans, 2.5 million motorcycles on the roads every day cover a total distance of 20,000km. "Mathematically, building more and more roads can never solve the traffic congestion problem and the right solution is to build and expand public transport, especially the rail-based mode," he added.

Asoke Montri Road project manager Somkiat Triamjaeng-arun said the design of the elevated road structure was complete, pending approval by the BMA's Public Works Department, and final approval from Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra. A Bangkok City Assembly member, Prasit Raksalam, said the project would also require Cabinet approval for relevant land expropriation

-- The Nation 2013-11-10

[wordchild]

this road will have a major impact on Asoke incl the area around the junction with Sukhumvit . In certain parts Asoke is quite narrow and to construct an elevated section of roadway along it will have an adverse impact on the look of the area not to mention the increased noise/pollution it will bring. As i understand it the current plan envisages the road being built along Asoke Montri and crossing Sukhumvit (and the skytrain tracks) via a flyover comming down on the other side close to the Queen Sirikit centre.

Edited November 10, 2013 by wordchild

[smoochy]

Worst traffic in BKK from Rama 9 to Sukhumvit on Asok road. Anything that improves it is welcome. Even if it's unsightly. Although, that road is already ugly so it shouldn't matter much.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Have they looked at the possibility of building underpasses like on Ratchada? Especially under the rail lines and the narrow section right before the Suk intersection? Better yet, going under Rama 9, Phetburi and Sukhumvit.

[wirat69]

Have they looked at the possibility of building underpasses like on Ratchada? Especially under the rail lines and the narrow section right before the Suk intersection? Better yet, going under Rama 9, Phetburi and Sukhumvit.

Probably too much risk of flood water.... but quite correct that the road is narrow and an elevated highway would be more ugly than the touts on Asoke Soi 4!! However, they seem to have solved the water ingress problems for MRT along the same route, and the "normal Bangkok solution is to bury everything..... :-)

[sprq]

Worst traffic in BKK from Rama 9 to Sukhumvit on Asok road. Anything that improves it is welcome. Even if it's unsightly. Although, that road is already ugly so it shouldn't matter much.

Totally idiotic response. See traffic jam, build huge, ugly, destructive, enormously expensive, environmentally horrendous road. Brilliant.

[sprq]

I'm staggered. It has to be a joke. Are the planners in this city really so utterly stupid? Depressingly, oh so depressingly, I guess so. I've seen some stupid ideas in this city, in fact I see them every day, but this takes the cake. I tell you what: let's build elevated roads over every thoroughfare in Bangkok. Because that will allow more cars to travel around. Those roads will fill up, eventually, so then let's build more elevated roads on top of those. And then when those fill up, let's build tunnels. It's the only intelligent thing to do, eh?

The whole city will be a horrendous concrete jungle, but as long as the cars can keep moving, that's OK. Because cities are for cars. aren't they, not for people.

[belg]

why not a skytrain extention + 3 cars on both sides ? not green enough ? or just a skytrain extention...

[Lakegeneve]

why not a skytrain extention + 3 cars on both sides ? not green enough ? or just a skytrain extention...

Why do you mean exactly, your post is very confusing?

You want to build a BTS line above the already existing subway/MRT line along the same route???

[Lakegeneve]

Have they looked at the possibility of building underpasses like on Ratchada? Especially under the rail lines and the narrow section right before the Suk intersection? Better yet, going under Rama 9, Phetburi and Sukhumvit.

Not at all possible due to the fact that the subway blocks the possibility. Had the idea been part of integrated planning when the subway was built - as the two Ratchada underpasses at Huay Kwang & Suttisan were - then it could have been done.

On a more general note and leaving aside the obvious aesthetic and health issues. building an extra elevated roads now it just plain stupid as any new road will just rapidly become yet another traffic jam That has been the experience of EVERY new road built in BKK. Worldwide the common experience in any city context is that building extra roads only encourages more traffic.

Mass transport is the only durable and sensible long term solution. Prioritise the current expansion plan of new metro lines before building any new roads in congested inner city areas.

[wordchild]

when I first heard about this a few months ago I thought it was such a ridiculous idea that it would never happen esp with a Governor who was re elected on a platform that included encouraging public transport and other forms of non car transportation and the fact that the new road was to follow the exact route of the existing MRT line. However it does look like this project has got some momentum now and will be tough to stop.

Edited November 10, 2013 by wordchild

[RuskiCat]

I'm staggered. It has to be a joke. Are the planners in this city really so utterly stupid? Depressingly, oh so depressingly, I guess so. I've seen some stupid ideas in this city, in fact I see them every day, but this takes the cake. I tell you what: let's build elevated roads over every thoroughfare in Bangkok. Because that will allow more cars to travel around. Those roads will fill up, eventually, so then let's build more elevated roads on top of those. And then when those fill up, let's build tunnels. It's the only intelligent thing to do, eh?

The whole city will be a horrendous concrete jungle, but as long as the cars can keep moving, that's OK. Because cities are for cars. aren't they, not for people.

Ok arm chair urban planners of Bangkok... Whats your plan? So far all i hear is groaning.

Problem: too many cars, too few streets.

Solution: more roads.

Thai visa members: whine whine whine. What do you propose?

Let me guess: less cars... Right. Next: more buses. Yep that will work... Helicopters? I am all ears.

[misterme]

Every underpass and elevated road that bypasses the congested intersections has alleviated traffic at the intersections. In fact, once the traffic flows better, land values increase.

Asok is a difficult one because it has the busy ring road intersection, plus a skytrain and a subway. An elevated roadway seems to be the only solution. Rama IV and Rama IX intersections are also congested and included in this plan.

They are solving all 3 intersections with this 1 project. I think they should start yesterday.

[hellodolly]

Worst traffic in BKK from Rama 9 to Sukhumvit on Asok road. Anything that improves it is welcome. Even if it's unsightly. Although, that road is already ugly so it shouldn't matter much.

You don't really care about the fact that it will just trap pollution in giving the area about as unhealthy an area as they can make it. People don't count just cars. Nice guy.

I'm staggered. It has to be a joke. Are the planners in this city really so utterly stupid? Depressingly, oh so depressingly, I guess so. I've seen some stupid ideas in this city, in fact I see them every day, but this takes the cake. I tell you what: let's build elevated roads over every thoroughfare in Bangkok. Because that will allow more cars to travel around. Those roads will fill up, eventually, so then let's build more elevated roads on top of those. And then when those fill up, let's build tunnels. It's the only intelligent thing to do, eh?

The whole city will be a horrendous concrete jungle, but as long as the cars can keep moving, that's OK. Because cities are for cars. aren't they, not for people.

Well eventually they will need a submarine to travel on the present land road.

Every underpass and elevated road that bypasses the congested intersections has alleviated traffic at the intersections. In fact, once the traffic flows better, land values increase.

Asok is a difficult one because it has the busy ring road intersection, plus a skytrain and a subway. An elevated roadway seems to be the only solution. Rama IV and Rama IX intersections are also congested and included in this plan.

They are solving all 3 intersections with this 1 project. I think they should start yesterday.

Another one who thinks people don't count.

How about urging car pooling have certain large parking areas around town where people can meet and share rides. Will take some planning but will cut down on pollution and not force people to breath even more of it. Increase their city bus service. Make it reliable and expand it so it can be used to go from any point in the city to any other point in the city. If need be put more buses on existing routes.

In Seattle they have a transportation system that if you are riding it with in the inner city it is free. If you go out side the area you pay when you get off rather than when you get on.

Or better still use some brains and build a new city on ground that is not sinking into the sea and you can lay it out with roadways wide enough to accommodate the traffic and run a very good transit system in. Call China they are experts at building new cities. Just make sure the land is not going to sink into the sea and that all the water flowing from the North does not have to flow through it.

There are many possibilities to solve the problems that do not ignore people.

Sorry to hurt the hopes of the people haters. But the fact is people do count.

[arakie]

Simple solution:

Convert the road to an expensive tollway. Allow those proven residents a free pass sticker. Taxis and buses ride free too. Problem solved.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[HardenedSoul]

Can't say I'd want to see even more cars whizzing past my apartment in Asoke.