A new year gift to Phuket: the Central underpass
Saran Mitrarat



PHUKET: -- Officials now expect to have a New Year gift for the motorists of Phuket: the completion of the long-awaited Darasamut underpass – better known as known as the Central Festival underpass.

On Monday (November 3), officials at the monthly Governor’s press briefing said that the underpass is now 86 per cent complete and will be finished by the end of the year.

“The wet weather is slowing construction [at Darasamut] and the Cabinet recently decided to extend the contract for to March 5 next year,” Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luaedwonghad said.

“In this moment, most of the work at the Darasamut underpass is taking place underground with electronic and safety systems being installed, along with resurfacing the roads above. So we expect the project to finish at least two months early,” he added.

Asked about penalties that the contractor, Italian Thai, must pay for not completing to the original sehdule in the contract, he said, “Because the Cabinet approved extension of the contract due to flooding problems causing delays, they will not have to pay any penalties.”

The news is not so good for the other underpass being built on the bypass, at the Samkong intersection next to Tesco-Lotus. Mr Samak said that one is 36 per cent complete and is not expected to be finished before the end of June next year.

“There were a lot of problems with water pipes and power poles obstructing parts of the project, which slowed down the work. However, at the moment, everything is being done. We can continue our job without problems.”

However, neither project will be finished in time for the Asian Beach Games, so the Highways Office and Phuket Provincial Police are to coordinate on solving traffic problems during that period.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/a-new-year-gift-to-phuket-the-central-underpass-49502.php

-- Phuket News 2014-11-05

So rain in the rainy season has caused the delays?

Maybe it was the wrong kind of rain.

I notice there is not actually any reference as to which year this intended gift

is given for, so there may be a slim chance that it might be this year.

The problem is that this gift may be a poisoned chalice. The underpass has only a single lane in each direction and a centre lane for overtaking etc. I can see huge traffic delays in the future without the 'standard' 2+2 lanes for an underpass.

It will just bottle neck at other underpass site and the south end coming onto Phrompan.

Not like it will cut travel times or anything. Just going to get worse.

Sent from my LG-D858

The problem is that this gift may be a poisoned chalice. The underpass has only a single lane in each direction and a centre lane for overtaking etc. I can see huge traffic delays in the future without the 'standard' 2+2 lanes for an underpass.

Is it really 3 lanes? Must say it does not seem wide enough for 3 lanes. Looks scary enough when it goes 2 way traffic.

The problem is that this gift may be a poisoned chalice. The underpass has only a single lane in each direction and a centre lane for overtaking etc. I can see huge traffic delays in the future without the 'standard' 2+2 lanes for an underpass.

Is it really 3 lanes? Must say it does not seem wide enough for 3 lanes. Looks scary enough when it goes 2 way traffic.

When they finally clear out the half dozen workers, the fifty or sixty sleepers, eaters, nose pickers and their assorted machinery and parked motorcycles from the tunnel, there should be more than enough room for two lanes. Three would be problematic.

I did notice yesterday they seem to be proceeding quite fast with rebuilding and bituminising the road on the north end.