It has been a long time coming, but there is now significant work commencing in multiple locations along the 65 km of Highway 24 between Prasat and Nang Rong to increase the number of lanes from only one each way. They look serious about it with a lot of clearance completing and early stages of clay infilling going on - maybe finished within a couple of years?

Travellers along this major artery that connects all the lower Isaan provinces with all points west (Bangkok) and South (Chantaburi) will know that driving this section has been at best highly frustrating and at worst fatal for many years. It will knock 30 minutes off my time driving West.

Yingluk signed up the project a couple of years back - nice to know that the General did not shelve it!

Wife just told me she saw this 10 days back. Some communication problem. But on this anouncement....

I believe it was agreed upon before Yingluk's days as PM

Work was due to start in 2012, but never did.

Maybe 2017 will see a dual carriageway.

I believe it was agreed upon before Yingluk's days as PM

Work was due to start in 2012, but never did.

Maybe 2017 will see a dual carriageway.

I can see it now buffalos walking side by side in both directions.

Oh!

Is it 1st April already ??

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

So in two years: 'Boss, we finished. Shall we repair it?'.

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

The bit east of Prasat isn't as much of a problem as the bit they are doing IMO Bergen. At least half the traffic turns north to go to Surin and all points north (Mukdahan, Roi Et, Yasothon etc) so that you have a reasonable chance of overtaking the slow stuff on the Khu Kan to Prasat bit.

I think I'd rather see a bypass for Nang Rong being next on the agenda. The two sets of lights there are a pain - as usual in Thailand noone thinks to coordinate the trafffic lights to let traffic stream through the second light after getting through the first.

Come to think of it, next on my shopping list for Lower Isaan would be to widen those bits of two lane road that go over the Kabinburi hills (Highway 304 - Korat to Chachoengsao and Patts/Rayong). Surely it's not environmental concerns that is stopping this? Not in Thailand surely?

You are dead right about the repair jibe, Cooked. They are already doing major resurfacing of the Khun Han to Khu Kan 4 lane section of 24 in Sisaket. Bladdy thing has only been open about 18 months! You can't gild the lily of crappy road foundations by pouring more blacktop on top, but I'm sure those who benefit from this merry go round (or is it a circus) know that only too well and with hands rubbed together in glee.

24

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

The bit east of Prasat isn't as much of a problem as the bit they are doing IMO Bergen. At least half the traffic turns north to go to Surin and all points north (Mukdahan, Roi Et, Yasothon etc) so that you have a reasonable chance of overtaking the slow stuff on the Khu Kan to Prasat bit.

I think I'd rather see a bypass for Nang Rong being next on the agenda. The two sets of lights there are a pain - as usual in Thailand noone thinks to coordinate the trafffic lights to let traffic stream through the second light after getting through the first.

Come to think of it, next on my shopping list for Lower Isaan would be to widen those bits of two lane road that go over the Kabinburi hills (Highway 304 - Korat to Chachoengsao and Patts/Rayong). Surely it's not environmental concerns that is stopping this? Not in Thailand surely?

You are dead right about the repair jibe, Cooked. They are already doing major resurfacing of the Khun Han to Khu Kan 4 lane section of 24 in Sisaket. Bladdy thing has only been open about 18 months! You can't gild the lily of crappy road foundations by pouring more blacktop on top, but I'm sure those who benefit from this merry go round (or is it a circus) know that only too well and with hands rubbed together in glee.

There have been 3 sets of traffic lights on the 24 through Nang Rong for the last 3 months.There is also an official 'Ring Road' which is the road that goes past the bus station to pick up the road to Packham,Arranya etc

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

With two more FriendShip Bridges agreed on North east of Ubon and ASEAN being introduced to some degree the, the money that China is dropping for transportation projects.. Hang on bergen it will happen all the way to Ubon.

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

With two more FriendShip Bridges agreed on North east of Ubon and ASEAN being introduced to some degree the, the money that China is dropping for transportation projects.. Hang on bergen it will happen all the way to Ubon.

That should help the provinces along the way, NOT with the exception of PTT/ 7/11 stops.

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

The bit east of Prasat isn't as much of a problem as the bit they are doing IMO Bergen. At least half the traffic turns north to go to Surin and all points north (Mukdahan, Roi Et, Yasothon etc) so that you have a reasonable chance of overtaking the slow stuff on the Khu Kan to Prasat bit.

I think I'd rather see a bypass for Nang Rong being next on the agenda. The two sets of lights there are a pain - as usual in Thailand noone thinks to coordinate the trafffic lights to let traffic stream through the second light after getting through the first.

Come to think of it, next on my shopping list for Lower Isaan would be to widen those bits of two lane road that go over the Kabinburi hills (Highway 304 - Korat to Chachoengsao and Patts/Rayong). Surely it's not environmental concerns that is stopping this? Not in Thailand surely?

You are dead right about the repair jibe, Cooked. They are already doing major resurfacing of the Khun Han to Khu Kan 4 lane section of 24 in Sisaket. Bladdy thing has only been open about 18 months! You can't gild the lily of crappy road foundations by pouring more blacktop on top, but I'm sure those who benefit from this merry go round (or is it a circus) know that only too well and with hands rubbed together in glee.

There have been 3 sets of traffic lights on the 24 through Nang Rong for the last 3 months.There is also an official 'Ring Road' which is the road that goes past the bus station to pick up the road to Packham,Arranya etc

That would be a 'slip road' where I come from !!

A typical feature of a 'ring road' is that it runs for 360 degrees - where does the Nang Rong 'ring road' come out eastbound and where is it on the north side of the 24 ?

Good News!

And then we need from Prasat going further East..............................

The bit east of Prasat isn't as much of a problem as the bit they are doing IMO Bergen. At least half the traffic turns north to go to Surin and all points north (Mukdahan, Roi Et, Yasothon etc) so that you have a reasonable chance of overtaking the slow stuff on the Khu Kan to Prasat bit.

I think I'd rather see a bypass for Nang Rong being next on the agenda. The two sets of lights there are a pain - as usual in Thailand noone thinks to coordinate the trafffic lights to let traffic stream through the second light after getting through the first.

Come to think of it, next on my shopping list for Lower Isaan would be to widen those bits of two lane road that go over the Kabinburi hills (Highway 304 - Korat to Chachoengsao and Patts/Rayong). Surely it's not environmental concerns that is stopping this? Not in Thailand surely?

You are dead right about the repair jibe, Cooked. They are already doing major resurfacing of the Khun Han to Khu Kan 4 lane section of 24 in Sisaket. Bladdy thing has only been open about 18 months! You can't gild the lily of crappy road foundations by pouring more blacktop on top, but I'm sure those who benefit from this merry go round (or is it a circus) know that only too well and with hands rubbed together in glee.

I think that on the hole (joke) I would have preferred that they build a proper bypass to Nang Rong, both for Southbound and Westbound Traffic.

I used to think that lack of adequate road base and subbase was the reason for the generally bad state of roads in Thailand. However in areas where there is plenty of usable rocks available, they aren't exploited. I spent two years of my life testing base and subbase, concrete and clay, and substandard loads were sent back and reported to the authorities that were paying for it. Not going to happen here, is it?

Finally! Can't count how many times I've feared for my life on that road. How bad is traffic with the construction going on? Driving to Bangkok soon from Ubon. I usually head south from Sisaket to Khu Khan to get on 24.

There have been 3 sets of traffic lights on the 24 through Nang Rong for the last 3 months.There is also an official 'Ring Road' which is the road that goes past the bus station to pick up the road to Packham,Arranya etc

That would be a 'slip road' where I come from !!

A typical feature of a 'ring road' is that it runs for 360 degrees - where does the Nang Rong 'ring road' come out eastbound and where is it on the north side of the 24 ?

And that would be a bypass where many of the rest of us come from! Slip roads to Brits are the entries and exits off motorways and similar (= ramps onto and off freeways in US)

Finally! Can't count how many times I've feared for my life on that road. How bad is traffic with the construction going on? Driving to Bangkok soon from Ubon. I usually head south from Sisaket to Khu Khan to get on 24.

Drove the full length from Kantharalak to Highway 2 on Saturday. No impact yet (just preparing the ground for the other set of lanes - looks very much like Kwaibah's pic throughout). The way it's generally done here with the land already being available for the 2 new lanes there is unlikely to be a huge impact until much later in the process and even then it is usually possible to switch the traffic onto the new lanes and refurb the old lanes.

Traffic on Saturday morning from Prasat to Prakonchai in particular was a bitch - but that's normal these days. Prakonchai to Nang Rong was surprisingly a breeze. Hope they get rid of those d_amn red light timings at the Panom Rung turn-off as part of the reconstruction. The entire might of the Isaan truck and bus fleets are held up waiting for half a dozen vehicles to come out of the side road over a leisurely 150 seconds - always bladdy annoying.

Only going by what I've seen for the Kun Han to Khu Khan works and the various road widenings of the highways coming out of Meuang Ubon in the last 7 years.

There have been 3 sets of traffic lights on the 24 through Nang Rong for the last 3 months.There is also an official 'Ring Road' which is the road that goes past the bus station to pick up the road to Packham,Arranya etc

That would be a 'slip road' where I come from !!

A typical feature of a 'ring road' is that it runs for 360 degrees - where does the Nang Rong 'ring road' come out eastbound and where is it on the north side of the 24 ?

And that would be a bypass where many of the rest of us come from! Slip roads to Brits are the entries and exits off motorways and similar (= ramps onto and off freeways in US)

Its only used by the locals to get a beer.

I believe it was agreed upon before Yingluk's days as PM

Work was due to start in 2012, but never did.

Maybe 2017 will see a dual carriageway.

I can see it now buffalos walking side by side in both directions.

I remember a few years ago travelling over the Higway 24 direction Korat, just past the weigh station near Buriram, and just behind the curve, a herd of buffalos crossing the road.

Scary moment at high speed, I can tell you.

Should have been done years ago.

Be honest.

Like me, you only car that the roads you use are improved and maintained.

Not my tax dollars ( Baht ), but give me what I want!