Pattaya Construction Woes

[Hobgoblin]

There are two cities that are permanently under construction: Las Vegas and Pattaya. I find the latter to be the worse of the two.

First off, it's currently impossible to get to Bangkok without having to navigate through some construction zone or another. Normally, the best way to Bangkok is via the Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway (Route 7). This road of course, is being torn up in several places. First, the T-junction where the spur of Route 7 that ends up in Laem Chabang is closed on the northbound direction -- traffic is re-routed on to the westbound direction of the spur, requiring you to take the U-turn bridge 1000 meters down the road, then return to the northbound lanes once again.

If you choose to skip the above all together and start your Route 7 journey from the Laem Chabang spur, you're in for more treats! There is a fairly major project in progress at the entrance to the Laem Chabang Port off of Sukhumvit Highway, which I can only guess will eventually be a flyover for thru-traffic. Either way, after you survive the endless delays this little segue doles out, you are free to enter the motorway spur, and be on your merry way to Bangkok. Of course, this is after you manage to find your way to the main segment's northbound lanes while dodging slow-driving, lane-drifting trucks hauling shipping containers.

Once you're on these lanes however, you will soon be diverted onto the frontage road while crews widen the expressway. I'm not as resentful towards this, however; this is one construction project that's much needed, since the segment of Route 7 from the Laem Chabang spur to the Chonburi bypass is littered with slow-moving trucks that outnumber passenger cars 10 to 1. The southbound traffic is not singled out... you can enjoy the bumpy frontage road on your way into Pattaya.

Somewhere in Samut Prakan province, they are widening yet again... drive carefully, because like the widening project near Sri Racha, there are no cones or markers set out to show where the concrete ends and drops a foot into the dirt. Ouch!

Sukhumvit Road throughout Pattaya is also being torn up. North of town near Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital as well as the south end between Pattaya Tai and Chayapreuk Roads, there is shoulder work being done. Crews seem to have finished this weeks ago in some places, yet new pavement hasn't been laid. The same scenario is also present on Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya) Road between Sukhumvit and 3rd Road... the work seems done, and no one has bothered to re-surface yet. We should have a pool on when South Pattaya Road finally gets re-surfaced... I'll take the third week of December

Whatever these projects are, I'm sure after they're done, the roads once open will be much nicer, smoother and better drained (during rainstorms), but Holy White, Feathery Jesus it's a pain the rear right now. Please excuse my venting, but I'm sure anyone else who drives and who has had to drive in a northerly direction recently shares my disharmony, and what better place than here?

Enjoy the potholes, everyone!

[Mobi]

A few comments/observations.

The diversion to the U-Turn on the North bound road has been there since around March/April 2005. Originally there was no U-Turn - you just turned left for about 1 km, and then crossed the main highway, and retraced your steps to avoid the inpassable bridge on the main route 7. Clearly someone made some money out of that fancy U-Turn which has been operating for about 18 months. For over a year there was no activity on re-building the bridge, which probably could have been done in a couple of months and saved a vast amount of money in traffic jams and diversions. I travel to BKK frequently, and will give thanks to God on High on the day that the diversion is finally closed. (I come from the direction of Rayong, so route 3 up through Lam Chabang is no use to me).

Last Thursday I travelled from BKK to Pattaya in the mid evening in torrential rain. It was a horrendous and extremely dangerous journey. At one point we were diverted down the frontage road - two lanes with mainly trucks on the inside lane, but also some on the outside lane, no street lights, invisible pot holes and guess what? Out of the murk and rain appeared a pick up heading straight towards us with headlights ablaze, and blowing his horn to warn us of his presence. I told the wife that if he did soemthing like that in England, they would put him away for 5 years. The wife said that he was probably just taking a short cut, and people do what they like in Thailand.

I reckon the road widening will all be finished in about 1 year's time, but don't hold your breath.

[Dirty Girty]

There are two cities that are permanently under construction: Las Vegas and Pattaya. I find the latter to be the worse of the two.

First off, it's currently impossible to get to Bangkok without having to navigate through some construction zone or another. Normally, the best way to Bangkok is via the Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway (Route 7). This road of course, is being torn up in several places. First, the T-junction where the spur of Route 7 that ends up in Laem Chabang is closed on the northbound direction -- traffic is re-routed on to the westbound direction of the spur, requiring you to take the U-turn bridge 1000 meters down the road, then return to the northbound lanes once again.

If you choose to skip the above all together and start your Route 7 journey from the Laem Chabang spur, you're in for more treats! There is a fairly major project in progress at the entrance to the Laem Chabang Port off of Sukhumvit Highway, which I can only guess will eventually be a flyover for thru-traffic. Either way, after you survive the endless delays this little segue doles out, you are free to enter the motorway spur, and be on your merry way to Bangkok. Of course, this is after you manage to find your way to the main segment's northbound lanes while dodging slow-driving, lane-drifting trucks hauling shipping containers.

Once you're on these lanes however, you will soon be diverted onto the frontage road while crews widen the expressway. I'm not as resentful towards this, however; this is one construction project that's much needed, since the segment of Route 7 from the Laem Chabang spur to the Chonburi bypass is littered with slow-moving trucks that outnumber passenger cars 10 to 1. The southbound traffic is not singled out... you can enjoy the bumpy frontage road on your way into Pattaya.

Somewhere in Samut Prakan province, they are widening yet again... drive carefully, because like the widening project near Sri Racha, there are no cones or markers set out to show where the concrete ends and drops a foot into the dirt. Ouch!

Sukhumvit Road throughout Pattaya is also being torn up. North of town near Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital as well as the south end between Pattaya Tai and Chayapreuk Roads, there is shoulder work being done. Crews seem to have finished this weeks ago in some places, yet new pavement hasn't been laid. The same scenario is also present on Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya) Road between Sukhumvit and 3rd Road... the work seems done, and no one has bothered to re-surface yet. We should have a pool on when South Pattaya Road finally gets re-surfaced... I'll take the third week of December

Whatever these projects are, I'm sure after they're done, the roads once open will be much nicer, smoother and better drained (during rainstorms), but Holy White, Feathery Jesus it's a pain the rear right now. Please excuse my venting, but I'm sure anyone else who drives and who has had to drive in a northerly direction recently shares my disharmony, and what better place than here?

Enjoy the potholes, everyone!

It will be nice once its all finished, it took me 3 and a half hours to get back to bangkok on thursday afternoon. I have to do this every week and I am starting to hate it. there do not seem to be so many idiots on the roads from Pattaya unlike Hua Hin.

[basjke]

By the way did you notice that at some places where they did a new surface on sukhumvit road already(like the na-jomtien area)that after only a few weeks it was full of holes again and unable to use.Regarding the pool when south pattaya road will be finished.I think a better pool would be how long it will take before they dig it up again after they finished the new surface.

[Mobi]

Hallelujia,

May all the Gods be praised

Yesterday morning I drove to Bangkok along route 7 from the Rayong intersection - and guess what?

NO U-TURN DIVERSION

They have fianlly connected up the road again, and the wonderful U-turn bridge is finally idle. (Except for the myopic few, who didn't spot they could go straight ahead, and still turned left and proceeded to the U-Turn as before )

After about 20 months, and no doubt billions of Baht expended in extra in fuel costs, lost time etc.

I reckon it knocked off at least 15 minutes from my journey, to say nothing of the reduction in frustration.