Engineer assures Pattaya business leaders Sukhumvit tunnel won’t flood

[Rimmer]

Engineer assures Pattaya business leaders Sukhumvit tunnel won’t flood

PATTAYA:--An engineer from the department building the 837.4 billion baht traffic-bypass under Sukhumvit Road assured Pattaya business leaders that the 420-meter-long tunnel would not flood.

Vichan Khunakulsawat from the Department of Rural Roads told the Feb. 11 meeting of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association he is frequently asked whether the tunnel now under construction will flood. He said people are skeptical, likely because of the chronic flooding the rest of the city suffers during nearly every heavy downpour.

However, the engineer explained, while the tunnel itself lies five meters under Sukhumvit Road, the entrances to it are at the top of a three-meter incline. That means flood waters on Central Road or Soi Pornprapanimit have to reach 3 meters deep to begin to enter the tunnel.

He added that even if water does enter the tunnel, subterranean drainage systems would remove it.

The PBTA meeting was to update progress on the three-year project and its impact, so far, on traffic.

Pol. Col. Phisit Proiroongroj, head of traffic enforcement for the Chonburi Provincial Police, said Banglamung and Pattaya police are responsible for enforcing traffic rules and parking in the affected area. He said Pattaya officials have been working hard to promote traffic-flow and parking changes required by the construction.

Five meters - 1.5 lanes - bordering Sukhumvit’s center median are closed to traffic from the Boonthavorn shop to Soi Wat Boonsampan in the initial stage of construction. Parking is banned in the construction zone while work is in progress and traffic from North Pattaya and Highway 7 cannot turn right on to Central

Pattaya Road. Likewise, traffic from South Pattaya is barred from turning right onto Pornprapanimit Road.

On the east side of Sukhumvit Road, sois Khao Talo, Khao Noi, Pornprapanimit, and Boonsampan were all changed to one-way streets connected by the railroad-access road to improve traffic flow along Sukhumvit.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/engineer-assures-pattaya-business-leaders-sukhumvit-tunnel-won-t-flood-45064#sthash.kkexdzcW.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-02-20

[petermik]

Well there,s nothing more to say then if a qualified engineer gives his assurances

[Anthony5]

On the east side of Sukhumvit Road, sois Khao Talo, Khao Noi, Pornprapanimit, and Boonsampan were all changed to one-way streets connected by the railroad-access road to improve traffic flow along Sukhumvit.

Anyone can confirm the above, because it didn't seem to be the case as of yesterday.

[LennyW]

So where exactly does this 3 meter incline start, at which end??

[dabhand]

The 837.4billion baht bypass!!

So this is costing more than the rice scheme? Looks like Rolls Royce will be opening an outlet in Pattaya quite soon

Surely shome mishtake!!

[Don Mega]

Rain that will enter the tunnel from both ends.... how is it drained away ?

[Thaddeus]

Rain that will enter the tunnel from both ends.... how is it drained away ?

It will drain in to the 100m deep sink hole that will appear in the middle shortly after the rain starts.

[bluebluewater]

"Are you sure???"

"Yes - pretty sure"

[malcoml]

That cost to complete can not be correct.

[alocacoc]

I believe nothing until i see the outcome. It's like the automatic-parking-garage at Bali Hai Pier which still is closed..... I only hope, that this mega-project will not be a safety problem, neither for locals and tourists nor for the construction workers. It's about time to introduce serious safety measures.

[IAMHERE]

Rain that will enter the tunnel from both ends.... how is it drained away ?

"He added that even if water does enter the tunnel, subterranean drainage systems would remove it."

Of course most water knows how to go both directions in most drainage systems.

[phuket43]

They could learn from the Phuket underpasses, currently being build. The Central underpass was flooded frequently during the last season monsoon. The engineers (different person though) provided the same freaking assurance.

[emilymat]

There's also going to be a U turn in the tunnel. That will be interesting, especially if there is a power failure.

[wonder6281]

Thats way too much money! Must be a mmmmmmisprint .. should be Million not Billion!

[Basil B]

By the time it gets completed will said engineers still be around?

[trainman34014]

If they tell you it won't flood then buy an inflatable dingy and underwater breathing apparatus to carry in your car !

[marinediscoking]

So where exactly does this 3 meter incline start, at which end??

n1-Flood1.jpg

I am not sure what part of Suk. that is in the photo but that looks like the esso near pattaya tai which is near the bottom of the hill hence the flooding, Where they are building the tunnel is at the top of the hill. I thought I would be flooded too until i drove it again a few days ago. Suk. is far from being a level road that runs through pattaya.

Its really is nightmare now that they closed the turn from Suk.into center road earlier this week.

Edited February 20, 2015 by marinediscoking

[Doc46]

Rain that will enter the tunnel from both ends.... how is it drained away ?

Subterranean drains,than pumped,,,,,,that's IF they can make it work(maintained),,,,

[jacko45k]

I hope it isn't the same engineer who says the promenade won't collapse each year they fix it.

And soi Bua khao won't flood.

Edited February 20, 2015 by jacko45k

[DrTuner]

On the east side of Sukhumvit Road, sois Khao Talo, Khao Noi, Pornprapanimit, and Boonsampan were all changed to one-way streets connected by the railroad-access road to improve traffic flow along Sukhumvit.

Anyone can confirm the above, because it didn't seem to be the case as of yesterday.

6pm last evening south bound the sois coming from the east side were blocked from crossing thanon rodfai with traffic cones. This places a long queue at the next u-turn.

Also, they painted three lanes there now, not wide enough for cars in all places.

Prepare for chaos and mayhem. I'll reroute to nernplubwan and maprachan when driving down from BKK.

[i claudius]

Last night ,the railway road was blocked as well ,absolute nightmare and of course no police at intersectiones when we were there ,we gave up and went home instead of visiting friends as we had intended. some time ago i wrote about a new supermarket on sukhumvit by Leam Chabang , now we can just go there instead of town.

[keithcresswell]

The photo in the article is at South Pattaya road, not central. Someone should tell the constructors that they are building in the wrong place!

[2fishin2]

They could learn from the Phuket underpasses, currently being build. The Central underpass was flooded frequently during the last season monsoon. The engineers (different person though) provided the same freaking assurance.

It only flooded in the beginning....they got it fixed, been fine ever since

[Pattaya28]

837.4 billion Baht ? That's about 20 billion Euros'.

If this is correct, now we know for sure why this project has begun.

A flyover traffic system would cost 1% of that amount.

[Anthony5]

837.4 billion Baht ? That's about 20 billion Euros'.

If this is correct, now we know for sure why this project has begun.

A flyover traffic system would cost 1% of that amount.

The budget for the project is 837,441,000 baht. Construction is due to start on 15th November and its expected it will take 810 days to complete.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/769610-new-traffic-tunnel-to-be-constructed-in-pattaya/?hl=+underpass

So clearly a mistake in the OP.

[bangon04]

Rain that will enter the tunnel from both ends.... how is it drained away ?

"He added that even if water does enter the tunnel, subterranean drainage systems would remove it."

Of course most water knows how to go both directions in most drainage systems.

Ex Science minister Plodprasob has assured the engineer that they will install some boat propellers to push the water along the drain and downhill - whichever downhill there is...

[MTH]

The photo in the article is at South Pattaya road, not central. Someone should tell the constructors that they are building in the wrong place!

Good catch! That photo doesn’t have anything to do with the location of the current construction. As you say, the photo displays a tunnel entrance just north of Pattaya Tai heading south on Sukhumvit.

If I remember correctly, when they started to plan this years ago, they were going to build two tunnels, one bypassing Pattaya Klang and one bypassing Pattaya Tai. Seems that Pattaya Mail used one of these old pictures and ended up publishing the wrong one, the one bypassing the Pattaya Tai intersection.

Then again, if they mix up millions and billions, I'd say this is just a minor mistake.

Edited February 21, 2015 by MTH

[biggles45]

""He added that even if water does enter the tunnel, subterranean drainage systems would remove it.""

There standby position is to use it as a training site for the new submarine they will buy.

[Langsuan Man]

Sorry, but I lost any faith in Thai engineers when, during the epic Bangkok flood of a couple of years ago, they had the idea that they could prevent flooding by tying boats to the bridges that crossed the Chao Phraya River and push the water out to sea

[LennyW]

Sorry, but I lost any faith in Thai engineers when, during the epic Bangkok flood of a couple of years ago, they had the idea that they could prevent flooding by tying boats to the bridges that crossed the Chao Phraya River and push the water out to sea

Aah, that's what the propellers in the picture are for!