New Chiangmai-Lamphun highway. Environmental disaster pending?

[Thailand]

In their wisdom the powers that be have decided that yet another route from Chiangmai to Lamphun is required and they have resurrected an old one.

Currently at least 3 ways to get there including the existing route 11 highway.

Details are here www.Chiangmai-Lamphun.com and a website currently under construction at www.ChiangmaiBlog.com

One of the main Chiangmai areas to be affected is Moo Banwangtan that will have the proposed 6 lane highway running straight through the middle of it. Disrupting lives,homes, destroying hundreds of trees and the environment in general.

Many other homes and lives are to be disrupted along the proposed route. Currently there are a number of different protests underway and about to begin.

Maybe this is another one of the "money" projects that perhaps the new PM should be carefully looking at?

Here is a picture of just one of the roads in Banwangtan through which the highway will run.

This is what the authorities would like it to look like.

[Thailand]

Current routing. Moo Banwangtan is the purple colour.

[khwaibah]

Bangkok Post ran an article on this just a few days back. The locals are seriously upset and p--- off.

Edited December 3, 2014 by khwaibah

[kaptainrob]

Attendance at the recent Tessaban meeting was overwhelmingly against the road, as one might expect.

Some of the most vocal [Thai] residents were extremely pissed off at both local government and mooban management for lack of information and any prior warning of said project. Only a select few even received notification of the meeting.

From a road engineering and town planning point of view, the proposal is flawed.

a./There is no requirement for faster/easier route into Chiang Mai from Lamphun. Adds to congestion.

b./An additional T-intersection on Mahidol road would create further traffic problems.

c./Widening of #11 SuperHighway perhaps <50% of cost.

Land owners and developers south of #121 road want to open up develop-able paddy for moobans. A Ban Tawai industrial precinct would make better sense with say, upgraded feeder roads to the #11.

[Thailand]

For those interested there is a meeting at the Pa Daed "community centre" on Sunday 1st February at 1pm for all those affected by the proposed route to discuss with those in charge of construction and the highways department.

The Pa Daed centre is on the left going to Chiangmai opposite the new dam on the Ping along the riverside road. Directly opposite a row of new shophouses. Big building with a large grass sports area in front.

[Chicog]

I don't think the environment has anything to do with the protests, they just don't want a road through their villages and who can blame them.

Unless there are any special areas of interest on that route? Unique breeding grounds for flora or fauna?

[LivinLOS]

I am guessing the OP means 'his environment' !!

[MESmith]

I don't think the environment has anything to do with the protests, they just don't want a road through their villages and who can blame them.

Unless there are any special areas of interest on that route? Unique breeding grounds for flora or fauna?

Large areas of rice paddy & rural villages need preserving. Without them a good deal of the attraction & charm of the valley go.

Hwy1317 past San Kamphaeng has been widened recently. Can't see large areas of paddy fields lasting long that way now.

Thailand needs a financial crash asap!

[umbanda]

A waste of money too....to save just few minutes driving. The present connection is good enough and very nice. I hope local people with fight against and prevail...

[Thailand]

At the meeting yesterday it was basically confirmed that the road will go ahead, eventually, with some minor diversions to the route to try to avoid as many properties as possible!

There is one final chance to protest against the road at another meeting on 18th of Feb for the Chiangmai area and 17th Feb for the Lamphun area.

It appears that many of the 18 or so villages that will be affected by the route are unaware of the proposed highway or have minimal information. That makes the upcoming meetings somewhat superfluous with a minimal number of people likely to be aware and many of those that are aware will be unable to get to the meetings as they are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon respectively.

A scary bit of info came out of the meeting. The information that had initially been provided was the proposed highway would take up a width of 60 metres, however, it turns out that the construction will allow for total width of up to 200 metres to be secured.

Another factor was in respect of compensation for those that would lose their property and land. The "Thai" way of purchasing land and house is for an amount that is somewhat below actual purchase price is registered with the land office. This is done to reduce tax. Obviously compensation is then based on the price registered at the land office with perhaps some additions for increase in land value etc. But in general unlikely to get market values.

[cmsally]

I was looking at those maps thinking it looked pretty wide ! I must have been right.

Was any reason given for the construction regarding traffic flow. What were the reasons for not extending/widening the existing routes?

[Thailand]

I was looking at those maps thinking it looked pretty wide ! I must have been right.

Was any reason given for the construction regarding traffic flow. What were the reasons for not extending/widening the existing routes?

Lots of figures relating to traffic flow which is almost double in the last five years but no surprise. I took a picture from the screen but not easy to see, will try and improve it.

Apparently widening 11 with flyovers was submitted 6 years ago but rejected by the authority, just one year after the current proposed route was submitted for the first time so I guess money is moving the project forward.

[uptheos]

Which Projects will be mostly affected?

The entry roads leading to the club house or say Project 5?

[Thailand]

Which Projects will be mostly affected?

The entry roads leading to the club house or say Project 5?

Sorry, I guess you have not seen the new route that is on the other thread. Thanks to BWT management and a couple of residents getting wind of the project being resurrected and its proposed route basically hitting the restaurant through project 5 and exiting almost via the back road to the 121 the residents were motivated in to meetings and petitions which quickly resulted in the planned route being revised to west of BWT, it looks like that will be the final route.

[Thailand]

Traffic flow. Actually looking at those figures the increase is nowhere near what was said, or I misheard with my limited knowledge of Thai and it does not show some new roads that can access Lamphun, albeit somewhat roundabout.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Thailand

[uptheos]

Which Projects will be mostly affected?

The entry roads leading to the club house or say Project 5?

Sorry, I guess you have not seen the new route that is on the other thread. Thanks to BWT management and a couple of residents getting wind of the project being resurrected and its proposed route basically hitting the restaurant through project 5 and exiting almost via the back road to the 121 the residents were motivated in to meetings and petitions which quickly resulted in the planned route being revised to west of BWT, it looks like that will be the final route.

Which part of Project 5 would be affected most a, b, c?

I don't live there so the map doesn't mean much to me, but have a Thai friend who does and she's concerned.

Edited February 2, 2015 by uptheos

[Thailand]

Which Projects will be mostly affected?

The entry roads leading to the club house or say Project 5?

Sorry, I guess you have not seen the new route that is on the other thread. Thanks to BWT management and a couple of residents getting wind of the project being resurrected and its proposed route basically hitting the restaurant through project 5 and exiting almost via the back road to the 121 the residents were motivated in to meetings and petitions which quickly resulted in the planned route being revised to west of BWT, it looks like that will be the final route.z

Which part of Project 5 would be affected most a, b, c?

I don't live there so the map doesn't mean much to me, but have a Thai friend who does and she's concerned.

As I said, the route has now been revised and barely impacts BWT just cutting north east BWT across top of project 3.

Residents should be aware by now as there have been meetings and a couple of letters sent. To every house. An active BWT Line new highway community and a blog - ChiangmaiBlog.com relating to the highway.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/791810-new-chiang-mai-lamphun-highway-cutting-through-residential-areas/

[cmsally]

First thing my inquisitive mind wants to know , is how they came about the traffic figures!!!

[Thailand]

First thing my inquisitive mind wants to know , is how they came about the traffic figures!!!

Maffmatiks!

[cmsally]

Yes, but is someone counting the cars or doing a survey or whatever before the maffmatics !

[Chicog]

Yes, but is someone counting the cars or doing a survey or whatever before the maffmatics !

Occasionally you may have seen a thin cable crossing the road at certain points.

Or not.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Current routing. Moo Banwangtan is the purple colour.

image.jpg

The purple color is South of the 121 Outer Ring and East of the river and therefore can't be Ban Wangtan. Ban Wangtan is in the yellow stuff. (Tambon Sanphakwan)

EDIT: Actually the map has mistakes on it. 121 has been incorrectly marked. 121 is what is marked 3029 (Middle Ring) on the map.

So.. if these people can't produce an accurate map of what they plan to build it could be some time before they manage to accomplish anything.

Here is the map in full, from the original location:

Looking at Google Earth, there seems to be space available to avoid Ban Wang Tan. There is mostly farmland in between the Eastern edge of Ban Wang Tan and the river. They would very likely choose that option, because acquiring land from individual Ban Wang Tan home/land owners would be a nightmare.

What it could all come down to, IF a road gets built there, would be that it will be massively more convenient to get into and out of Bang Want Tan, which currently involves a big drive through rural little roads to the Hang Dong road, then a nasty U turn if you want to get to town.. How much better would it be to quickly exit it towards the East, easy left turn and you end up in town in no time at all!

Edited February 5, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai

[naboo]

The road will be built, the foundations are already being put in place at the Lamphun end, though not in the places that map suggests...

[Thailand]

Current routing. Moo Banwangtan is the purple colour.

image.jpg

The purple color is South of the 121 Outer Ring and East of the river and therefore can't be Ban Wangtan. Ban Wangtan is in the yellow stuff. (Tambon Sanphakwan)

EDIT: Actually the map has mistakes on it. 121 has been incorrectly marked. 121 is what is marked 3029 (Middle Ring) on the map.

So.. if these people can't produce an accurate map of what they plan to build it could be some time before they manage to accomplish anything.

Here is the map in full, from the original location:

Looking at Google Earth, there seems to be space available to avoid Ban Wang Tan. There is mostly farmland in between the Eastern edge of Ban Wang Tan and the river. They would very likely choose that option, because acquiring land from individual Ban Wang Tan home/land owners would be a nightmare.

What it could all come down to, IF a road gets built there, would be that it will be massively more convenient to get into and out of Bang Want Tan, which currently involves a big drive through rural little roads to the Hang Dong road, then a nasty U turn if you want to get to town.. How much better would it be to quickly exit it towards the East, easy left turn and you end up in town in no time at all!

Colour blind and unable to spell yarrow!

It appears route 4 has already been adopted and will bypass most of BWT well to the east. In fact it was the only proposed route shown at the Padad meeting last week.

Confirmation later this month.

BTW - hardly ever use the Chiangmai/ Hod road and the infamous u turn.One route is right out of BWT straight down by the Ping, easy and no traffic lights!

The "newer" route is again turn right out of BWT, take the first left for about half kilometre which brings you to the road up to BigC and simply turn right at the lights towards Airport Plaza.

[Sparkles]

Current routing. Moo Banwangtan is the purple colour.

image.jpg

The purple color is South of the 121 Outer Ring and East of the river and therefore can't be Ban Wangtan. Ban Wangtan is in the yellow stuff. (Tambon Sanphakwan)

EDIT: Actually the map has mistakes on it. 121 has been incorrectly marked. 121 is what is marked 3029 (Middle Ring) on the map.

So.. if these people can't produce an accurate map of what they plan to build it could be some time before they manage to accomplish anything.

Here is the map in full, from the original location:

Looking at Google Earth, there seems to be space available to avoid Ban Wang Tan. There is mostly farmland in between the Eastern edge of Ban Wang Tan and the river. They would very likely choose that option, because acquiring land from individual Ban Wang Tan home/land owners would be a nightmare.

What it could all come down to, IF a road gets built there, would be that it will be massively more convenient to get into and out of Bang Want Tan, which currently involves a big drive through rural little roads to the Hang Dong road, then a nasty U turn if you want to get to town.. How much better would it be to quickly exit it towards the East, easy left turn and you end up in town in no time at all!

Colour blind and unable to spell yarrow!

It appears route 4 has already been adopted and will bypass most of BWT well to the east. In fact it was the only proposed route shown at the Padad meeting last week.

Confirmation later this month.

BTW - hardly ever use the Chiangmai/ Hod road and the infamous u turn.One route is right out of BWT straight down by the Ping, easy and no traffic lights!

The "newer" route is again turn right out of BWT, take the first left for about half kilometre which brings you to the road up to BigC and simply turn right at the lights towards Airport Plaza.

I think every BWT resident knows the short cut out to the back of Big C and turn right at the lights to get to town but that increasing traffic goes through a very narrow soi with houses within touching distance.I feel guilty each time we go through, must be awful for those residents living there.The river road is becoming increasingly congested and dangerous and no chance of widening that

Even route 4 is decided upon now how many years will it take to finalise the property buyouts and estimate the cost of construction ? presuming it has to go to Bangkok for final approval and funding

The prediction that CM will become a "Bangkok traffic experience" is fast becoming a reality

[Thailand]

The road will be built, the foundations are already being put in place at the Lamphun end, though not in the places that map suggests...

Does this fit with what you are seeing?

http://www.chiangmaiblog.com/?page_id=109

[naboo]

The road will be built, the foundations are already being put in place at the Lamphun end, though not in the places that map suggests...

Does this fit with what you are seeing?

http://www.chiangmaiblog.com/?page_id=109

Its very difficult to figure out. There is also a road being built to head south to Baan Hong which will intersect with the new Chiang Mai - Lamphun road. Tarmac has already been laid to the west of Lamphun hospital on what will be at least three lanes each direction.

I'll get some photos and coordinates in the next few days.

[Thailand]

Last chance to have your say about the proposed highway.

Chalerm Prakiat 80 year hall,

Chiangmai City Hall

February 18th 1pm.

[MESmith]

Last chance to have your say about the proposed highway.

Chalerm Prakiat 80 year hall,

Chiangmai City Hall

February 18th 1pm.

Ask them to build a segregated cycle-lane either side

[Thailand]

Last chance to have your say about the proposed highway.

Chalerm Prakiat 80 year hall,

Chiangmai City Hall

February 18th 1pm.

Ask them to build a segregated cycle-lane either side

Segregated - one for men and one for women? Where will the food stalls go?