Engineer assures Pattaya business leaders Sukhumvit tunnel won’t flood

[bkkjames]

is it really 837 billion baht?

the ones in bankgok don't flood and we are building them on a flood plain so I think you will be ok on the hard rock of Pattaya no?

[Woody1]

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 doesnt 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.

If I'm not very much mistaken, there were 3 sections to this tunnel planned (how many will go ahead, or ever be completed is a completely different matter!).

The plans I saw (posted on another TV thread) showed the tunnel starting between Pattaya Tai and Threppasit, and ending just north of Pattaya Nua.

Whether these plans are still on the table I have no idea!

[toenail]

The article says, "an engineer (won't give his name) from the department (doesn't say if it is the department) building the 837.4 billion baht traffic-bypass under Sukhumvit Rd assured that the 420meter long tunnel will not flood. (I feel re-assured already.) I have lived/ worked in this area for 10 years and unfortunately the city officials may have good intentions there doesn't seem to be any "check & balances" on the quality of workmanship. Yes, there are hundreds of security cameras around the city and Beach Rd, but how many of them work (go to city hall and check the monitors, there are about 8-10 of them on). The pedestrian light crossings along Beach Rd turned out to create traffic jams on weekends (so they are turned off) and during the week some drivers do not stop when the red light is flashing for the foreign tourist to cross Beach Rd safely (a death waiting to happen). Sidewalk maintenance?? --as soon as the loose brick is laid, the beginning of the walkway is already falling apart. The Beach Rd promenade is wider and more user-friendly now, but tearing down the indigenous tree that has a solid, deep root system that kept the shore line from eroding away was ignored and the company (again we do not have the names but all I saw were skinny Cambodians doing the work). The walkway should have never been quickly laid until the retaining walls and the erosion problem had been taken care of. Any reliable experienced "engineer" would have know this, but those in charge ignored the collapsing walls before the new walkway was implemented. The city has flooding problems with all the narrow sloping sois emptying into the main artery of Beach Rd, thus overflow of water running over the new promenade and then eroding away more of the beach and exposing sewer pipes, electrical wires and such... The city's unnamed "engineer" (wonder if this person in charge really has a degree?--can we see which university he attended, his credentials, his name????) is assuring us that the Sukhumvit tunnel will not flood? I'll take his guarantee as soon as he publishes his credentials and name. So far I am not impressed with the city's projects being "out sourced" to some cheap Charlie outfit and the city official pockets most of the budgeted money. Maybe I am incorrect to say this, but publicly print out the expenses and which outfits were involved.

[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 doesnt 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.

If I'm not very much mistaken, there were 3 sections to this tunnel planned (how many will go ahead, or ever be completed is a completely different matter!).

The plans I saw (posted on another TV thread) showed the tunnel starting between Pattaya Tai and Threppasit, and ending just north of Pattaya Nua.

Whether these plans are still on the table I have no idea!

Yes, when you mention it, that sounds correct. They planned tunnels to bypass all 4 of the Pattaya Nua, Pattaya Klang, Pattaya Tai and Theprasit intersections on Sukhumvit.

[KhunBENQ]

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.

Lets hope the engineers have better math capabilities than our revered Thai press writers.

So often they mix up the magnitudes.

At 837 millions still megalomania to construct a throughway.

But OK its Pattaya, the Côte d'Azur of the east

Edited February 22, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[emilymat]

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 doesnt 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.

If I'm not very much mistaken, there were 3 sections to this tunnel planned (how many will go ahead, or ever be completed is a completely different matter!).

The plans I saw (posted on another TV thread) showed the tunnel starting between Pattaya Tai and Threppasit, and ending just north of Pattaya Nua.

Whether these plans are still on the table I have no idea!

I remember that plan. It's really the only logical thing to do if you are embarking on a plan of this size.

What is the point in having the usual jams at Tai and Nua intersections, whilst having a bit of tunnel in the middle.? Surely building an elevated 'expressway' type structure from before Thai until after Nua would be more practical - if the purpose is to give through traffic a free flow.

I honestly don't know what the long term plan is. I suppose I don't really care anymore..........

[Tham1]

Why Farang worry too mutt - Thai Engineer say ok so no ploblem.

[thefactoryoutlet]

Was it cheaper than building an overpass ?

[bkkjames]

Was it cheaper than building an overpass ?

It's all about maintaining the beautiful vistas seen along sukhumvit road.....

[joesanunu]

Was it cheaper than building an overpass ?

It's all about maintaining the beautiful vistas seen along sukhumvit road.....

Overpass cost 18X more than a surface road and I suppose a tunnel is allot more than that.

Is the temptation of stealing a percentage of the budget driving the decisions around here?

[marinediscoking]

No they have blocked off suk. turning into Siam country club road or coming out of siam cc drive you have to go almost to s. pattaya road to make a U-turn. So basically if you are coming into pattaya from bangkok you have to take north pattaya road or south pattaya road. A week ago there were more options for U-turns and then taking the smaller soi's to get into to town now those are gone. Its a total mess now.

[petercool]

Two posts using slur phrases with profanity removed

[WitawatWatawit]

No they have blocked off suk. turning into Siam country club road or coming out of siam cc drive you have to go almost to s. pattaya road to make a U-turn. So basically if you are coming into pattaya from bangkok you have to take north pattaya road or south pattaya road. A week ago there were more options for U-turns and then taking the smaller soi's to get into to town now those are gone. Its a total mess now.

Agreed. Going from the darkside to Pattaya (and vice versa) requires some serious detouring, which is overloading other streets. Pattaya Tai last night was a giant car park. Can't understand why they had to close off Pattaya Klang - open, it would relieve a lot of the pressure on side streets as drivers would not have to circle around to find ways to get from one side of Suk to the other, while easing the pressure of traffic on Suk itself.

Edited February 24, 2015 by WitawatWatawit

[Robroona]

Made a big mistake tonight around 7pm. I was going to Big C in Klang, I came in via the motorway, turned right and headed down into Soi Yume. Gridlock as other drivers all have the same ideas of how to beat the roadworks.

I drove through the tunnel in Khon Kaen on Sunday ( or was it Udon?). I had read the start of this thread and paid attention to the entrance and exits. They actually rise somewhat before starting into the incline/decline. So, if the Pattaya one follows this logic, there should be very little water running into the tunnel.

Looked pretty decent too. Pity it will take so long for it to finish though

[DrTuner]

I drove through the tunnel in Khon Kaen on Sunday ( or was it Udon?).

The KK tunnel took around 4-5 years to finish, if I remember correctly. I fully expect the Pattaya one to take 3+ years. Traffic rerouting will likely change daily, to the "amusement" of the locals. Lovely times ahead, chaos and mayhem.