Construction on a new 800 meter long underpass on the Superhighway at Tepbunya junction is to start Wednesday. I have no idea where Tepbunya junction is. Anyone?

It's this one:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/762363-construction-on-new-underpass-on-superhighway-to-begin-in-october/

It's on the main superhighway near Teppanya Hospital i.e. near the Tesco Lotus and the road connecting to Meechok Plaza

Discussed here, including article: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/762363-construction-on-new-underpass-on-superhighway-to-begin-in-october/

Much needed, but 3 years of disruption?? Also needed at 1001/121- any news of plans for that?

Why an underpass instead of a bridge?

Why an underpass instead of a bridge?

Because, this.

Going under looks a lot nicer. Although apparently some people can't wait turn Chiang Mai into Bangkok ASAP..

Edited September 28, 201411 yr by WinnieTheKhwai

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Underpass is for sure a lot less visually intrusive..

It amazes me drainage wise how in heavy rains these things never flood in spite of the fact they're 30-40 feet below street level......not sure how they do it.....

They flood in Calif....you'd think it would be the opposite.....

Why an underpass instead of a bridge?

Exactly - ask the commuters of Phuket about the 2 underpasses under contruction on the main artery of central Phuket. One underpass is near completion after almost 2 years of traffic jams, and they just started the second underpass just up the road at the next main junction = many years of traffic jams.

Overpasses would have been much quicker and cheaper - go figure.

It amazes me drainage wise how in heavy rains these things never flood in spite of the fact they're 30-40 feet below street level......not sure how they do it.....

They flood in Calif....you'd think it would be the opposite.....

Multi pumps and even in the unlikely event of total pump failure the highway above is still open.

Edited September 28, 201411 yr by andreandre

Why an underpass instead of a bridge?

Exactly - ask the commuters of Phuket about the 2 underpasses under contruction on the main artery of central Phuket. One underpass is near completion after almost 2 years of traffic jams, and they just started the second underpass just up the road at the next main junction = many years of traffic jams.

Overpasses would have been much quicker and cheaper - go figure.

Agree about Phuket its farcical..But here in C/M theres a majority of underpasses and they do look so much better..look at this..you'd have no idea that theres 4/6 lanes highway passing in front and below you...much, much nicer than that joke they're building on your island LIK..

Edited September 28, 201411 yr by andreandre

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Edited September 28, 201411 yr by WinnieTheKhwai

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Beautiful, I can almost hear the birdies singing!

I know the point you're making, but Chiang Mai is not the same place you and I knew just 5 years ago. It is an urban sprawl of noise and traffic. Building an underpass instead of a bridge is not going to change that. I was looking at pictures of Huay Kaew road in 2008 just a few weeks ago. I remember my friend, who lived up by canal road in 2008, complaining that the lights were on red for 2 minutes at a time with no traffic going through. It was a fairly quiet road. All that's gone, its already Bangkok.

Hey, naboo. I feel your sorrow for things past, like peace and quiet, horse drawn wagons, petrol at US$0.25 per gallon, bread with substance and every town with 3 breweries. It's all gone. The dodo bird is gone too, never to return. I am trying to learn to love the shi**y, ubiquitous, brown and dirty sparrow.

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Beautiful, I can almost hear the birdies singing!

I know the point you're making, but Chiang Mai is not the same place you and I knew just 5 years ago. It is an urban sprawl of noise and traffic. Building an underpass instead of a bridge is not going to change that. I was looking at pictures of Huay Kaew road in 2008 just a few weeks ago. I remember my friend, who lived up by canal road in 2008, complaining that the lights were on red for 2 minutes at a time with no traffic going through. It was a fairly quiet road. All that's gone, its already Bangkok.

Been in chiang Mai since 1877, how do you think I feel?

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Beautiful, I can almost hear the birdies singing!

I know the point you're making, but Chiang Mai is not the same place you and I knew just 5 years ago. It is an urban sprawl of noise and traffic. Building an underpass instead of a bridge is not going to change that. I was looking at pictures of Huay Kaew road in 2008 just a few weeks ago. I remember my friend, who lived up by canal road in 2008, complaining that the lights were on red for 2 minutes at a time with no traffic going through. It was a fairly quiet road. All that's gone, its already Bangkok.

Been in chiang Mai since 1877, how do you think I feel?

since 1977 sorry

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Beautiful, I can almost hear the birdies singing!

I know the point you're making, but Chiang Mai is not the same place you and I knew just 5 years ago. It is an urban sprawl of noise and traffic. Building an underpass instead of a bridge is not going to change that. I was looking at pictures of Huay Kaew road in 2008 just a few weeks ago. I remember my friend, who lived up by canal road in 2008, complaining that the lights were on red for 2 minutes at a time with no traffic going through. It was a fairly quiet road. All that's gone, its already Bangkok.

Been in chiang Mai since 1877, how do you think I feel?

Old?

I have two friends who are highly qualified Civil Engineers (British Terminology) and City Planner (In US Speak). Both have said in the past that Roundabouts are the Proven way to go.

Far cheaper then digging the roads up and inso lining some folks pockets.

Many will remember the 'Oblong aBouts' when the Chang Puak road crossed the superhighway massive about a kilo long but they certainly kept the traffic flowing.

john

Can't see how 'round a bouts' could accommodate car speeds of 80 km/hr or more in one direction and 35 km in the perpendicular direction. . I never saw such a thing in USA Interstate hiway. Never been to UK but i suspect everyone there travels at 20 km/hr so those things work OK. The pony carts are a tad slower.

Large multi-laned UK-style roundabouts work very well and some road engineers in Aus/NZ have followed the UK example with great success. UnfortunatelyThai drivers need ~20 years of training to acquire roundabout driving skills so underpasses are far better in the short term.

Can't see how 'round a bouts' could accommodate car speeds of 80 km/hr or more in one direction and 35 km in the perpendicular direction. . I never saw such a thing in USA Interstate hiway. Never been to UK but i suspect everyone there travels at 20 km/hr so those things work OK. The pony carts are a tad slower.

I've taken a few at 80kph(50mph) but then in the UK we have cars that are designed to go around corners.

Can't see how 'round a bouts' could accommodate car speeds of 80 km/hr or more in one direction and 35 km in the perpendicular direction. . I never saw such a thing in USA Interstate hiway. Never been to UK but i suspect everyone there travels at 20 km/hr so those things work OK. The pony carts are a tad slower.

You really need to travel more.

Large multi-laned UK-style roundabouts work very well and some road engineers in Aus/NZ have followed the UK example with great success. UnfortunatelyThai drivers need ~20 years of training to acquire roundabout driving skills so underpasses are far better in the short term.

I disagree. Thais hate traffic lights. Roundabouts keep traffic flowing. Just needs a little education. Drove up through Mae Rim at the weekend. Underpass construction has begun at outer ring road. Guess what, traffic kept moving. They can always put traffic lights at roundabouts for peak periods. Short cycle, 20 - 30 secs red, keep the traffic moving. Unfortunately, most road design here copies the dinosaurs on the wrong side of the Atlantic.....

So to keep the superhighway looking beautiful. Makes sense.

Indeed.

Compare that with the old ways, with the ugly overpasses on Aom Muang Rd, which by the way took forever to build, too, and disrupted traffic. Especially the Nong Hoy one. And they are also noisier because traffic noise is elevated higher. They're nasty things, and happy that people in Chiang Mai make the extra effort.

Beautiful, I can almost hear the birdies singing!

I know the point you're making, but Chiang Mai is not the same place you and I knew just 5 years ago. It is an urban sprawl of noise and traffic. Building an underpass instead of a bridge is not going to change that. I was looking at pictures of Huay Kaew road in 2008 just a few weeks ago. I remember my friend, who lived up by canal road in 2008, complaining that the lights were on red for 2 minutes at a time with no traffic going through. It was a fairly quiet road. All that's gone, its already Bangkok.

Been in chiang Mai since 1877, how do you think I feel?

Old?

Edit Winnie beat me to it

Edited September 30, 201411 yr by sustento

I have two friends who are highly qualified Civil Engineers (British Terminology) and City Planner (In US Speak). Both have said in the past that Roundabouts are the Proven way to go.

Far cheaper then digging the roads up and inso lining some folks pockets.

Many will remember the 'Oblong aBouts' when the Chang Puak road crossed the superhighway massive about a kilo long but they certainly kept the traffic flowing.

john

That's definitily true. A thing I've always wondered about is if a combination might work: have the fast traffic underpass in the super highway direction, but an extended area on top that's big enough to accommodate a roundabout for the Chotana traffic and traffic turning left or right.

I have two friends who are highly qualified Civil Engineers (British Terminology) and City Planner (In US Speak). Both have said in the past that Roundabouts are the Proven way to go.

Far cheaper then digging the roads up and inso lining some folks pockets.

Many will remember the 'Oblong aBouts' when the Chang Puak road crossed the superhighway massive about a kilo long but they certainly kept the traffic flowing.

john

That's definitily true. A thing I've always wondered about is if a combination might work: have the fast traffic underpass in the super highway direction, but an extended area on top that's big enough to accommodate a roundabout for the Chotana traffic and traffic turning left or right.

That is a good solution. Many intersections in CM could accommodate additional lanes for a r-a-b or U-turn but are concreted over at kerb height.

Gents my comments on Roundabouts are what I have been taught by the Engineer who was Project Engineer for Bangkok's overhead Railway and the City Planner who was Project Engineer on the King Khalid airport in Saudi.

Both are retired, live in CM, highly experienced Engineers and both have said separately that Roundabouts are the Proven way to go.

Anyone who has lived in Thailand for some years knows that Government contracts are the Thai way to go.

john

The Project Engineer has final say on Engineering matters and signs the Paperwork required by the Insurance company.