Phuket's three underpass projects 'on track' for completion by 2017

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Phuket's three underpass projects 'on track' for completion by 2017
Khemin Wicheetthagoon


The view from the walkway connecting the main Central Festival to the new Central Festival East.

PHUKET: -- The island’s underpasses are on track for finishing on time – with all three expected to be completed by 2017 to hopefully go some way to solving the island’s traffic problems.

The intersection outside Central Festival Phuket has been a constant talking point with road users on the island since construction started one year ago, but was now around 60 per cent complete.

Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Provincial Highways Department, told The Phuket News the underpass at Central Festival was due to be completed in October 2014. Construction was slightly behind schedule, but Mr Samak said that despite this it would still be finished on time.

Work has now started at the Samkong underpass too, next to the Kathu Tesco Lotus, with construction around 5 per cent complete, Mr Samak said.

Work began several months ago and was due to be completed in June 2015.

As for the third underpass, at Bang Koo on the bypass road, Mr Samak said construction would start in 2015 and would finish in 2017 – the final stage in the underpass project.

He said at the Samkong construction site the road had been widened, but advised all road users to drive carefully and to be patient.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket%E2%80%99s-three-underpass-projects-%E2%80%98on-track%E2%80%99-for-completion-by-2017-43543.php

-- Phuket News 2013-12-20

[britpop]

Fantastic, a quicker way to get to the next roundabout, to be sent 200 metres up the road to turn around and create a traffic jam, If the whole islands roads and infrastructure was up to the job, i'd say great, but it's a complete joke, crazy beyond belief

[madmitch]

By 2017 they will need a whole load of new traffic schemes to accommodate the ever increasing number of cars. It'll be never-ending.

Get a light railway system. And soon.

[Valentine]

I take it there is no comprehensive traffic plan for Phuket as aside from the 3 underpasses there is no mention of anything else on the drawing boards. There needs to be more secondary roads, they need to be buying up land in the narrow streets of Phuket Town (it worked for Bangkok Road) & as Mitch said a light rail system but where is the land coming from for this or can it go above street level. If there is to be a light rail system it should be connected to where people can get off & take buses for which we all know this sytem is totally inadequate to serve the needs of the people mainly due to the greedy profiteering of the tuk tuk & taxi mafia where money goes all the way to the top.

[bangarang]

By 2017 they will need a whole load of new traffic schemes to accommodate the ever increasing number of cars. It'll be never-ending.

Get a light railway system. And soon.

Keep dreaming

[jpeg]

I take it there is no comprehensive traffic plan for Phuket as aside from the 3 underpasses there is no mention of anything else on the drawing boards. There needs to be more secondary roads, they need to be buying up land in the narrow streets of Phuket Town (it worked for Bangkok Road) & as Mitch said a light rail system but where is the land coming from for this or can it go above street level. If there is to be a light rail system it should be connected to where people can get off & take buses for which we all know this sytem is totally inadequate to serve the needs of the people mainly due to the greedy profiteering of the tuk tuk & taxi mafia where money goes all the way to the top.

Noooo! I love the narrow streets of virtually farang free Phuket Town. Let's not ruin it's charm. And with it's cheap and plentiful public transport (compared to the rest of the island), it's the only place that doesn't need a light rail system/more cars.

[LivinginKata]

I thought I mis-read that 2017 date. But no - they are serious. I can't imagine how bad the traffic will be in another 4 years.