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Phuket Poll: Underpass underwhelms in opening
The Phuket News


The Darasamut Underpass has made inroads into traffic congestion on the bypass road, but only to ‘force feed’ choke points down the road. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: -- The opening of the B600-million Darasamut Underpass in April this year has done much to alleviate traffic congestion at the busy intersection, but mainly by force-feeding traffic to a choke point “down the road”, according to respondents to the latest online poll by The Phuket News.

The Darasamut Underpass is the first of three “tunnel projects” to be completed along the bypass road. The other two – one at the Sam Kong Intersection in front of Tesco Lotus, and another at the Bang Khu Intersection at the northern junction of the bypass road with Thepkrasattri Rd – are still under construction.

Each underpass comes with a hefty price tag. The Bang Khu Underpass will also cost about B600 million, but the Sam Kong Underpass will cost about B834 million, including the waylaid project to install drains along the section of road in front of Index Living Mall.

The yet-to-start Chalong Underpass, borrowing under Chalong Circle, will cost another B550 million by the time that project is finally complete.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-poll-underpass-underwhelms-in-opening-55319.php


-- Phuket News 2015-12-08

[LivinginKata]

Quite obvious that good flow through the underpass causes a jam at the first/next set of traffic lights.

[Pomthai]

Yep, also the bottle neck at Ko Kiew's traffic lights isn't going to be helped at all by the tunnel going in now near the Toyota and bypass junction.

[NCC1701A]

how much water do you think that underpass can hold?

[huuwi]

how much water do you think that underpass can hold?

we will see soon, most of the drains are cloged already from dirt.

[huuwi]

my friends house has ground water at 2+m already in chalong, so pumps should be good, to work 24/7 in our new chalong underpass.

[cracker1]

Seems strange that the kerbing on the road sides has been painted Black and White which means "Parking is Permitted " ?

[WhizBang]

Seems strange that the kerbing on the road sides has been painted Black and White which means "Parking is Permitted " ?

Probably just for decoration and has no real meaning. This is, after all, Thailand.

[Old Croc]

I think the Central underpass has greatly improved traffic flow through what was previously a very congested intersection.

Yes, it's now clogging at the next chokepoint to the south, posters here predicted this very early in the process. To me there is enough space there to fix that problem by providing dedicated turn lanes and sensible traffic light signals.

However, to condemn the underpass as the catalyst for traffic problems elsewhere is shortsighted. The whole highway needs to be upgraded to reflect it's importance as the major artery for the Island's traffic flow, particularly as they are apparently putting a light rail down the middle at some stage!

I remember they announced plans months ago to widen the stretch of road from the tunnel to the Honda intersection. This needs to happen quickly, although funds have probably disappeared in that partially dug hole at the horror Tesco intersection.

This road urgently needs to be upgraded to proper highway status all the way to the next horror point at the circle.

It needs to be widened, properties need to be acquired where necessary, moved back from the road edge where they have fudged boundaries, parking on the highway banned, and enforced, and retail outlets made to provide proper tourist bus turnoffs that prevent these behemoths from blocking traffic when maneuvering into small driveways.

(And moving that damned school to a more appropriate area would be a good place to start!)

Edited December 9, 2015 by Old Croc

[grumpyoldman]

Ol Croc I agree, especially with your last paragraph, but as you know we're sooner to see this than that.

Edited December 9, 2015 by grumpyoldman

[Old Croc]

Ol Croc I agree, especially with your last paragraph, but as you know we're sooner to see this than that.

Pig with wings.jpeg

I know, I'm just pissing in the wind.

[LivinginKata]

All takes to time to develop the Phuket road system. I remember the days when the main road north off the island (and to the airport) was just a regular 2 way road. I also remember the years of horror while the dual carriageway was being built. Now it's just a high speed horror show of accidents.

[steelepulse]

I can recall when a long time before Chao Fa West was "widened" it was a two way road with a motorbike lane and traffic flowed pretty well. The only difference now is, the motorbike lane is a bit wider and also used for parking outside of any shop that suits a punters fancy, along with taking a much more considerable amount of time to navigate. The only way that underpass will ever pay for itself will be if Old Croc's dream comes to fruition..........

However, going north from Phromphan sure is a lot nicer now.

[bearpolar]

I doubt croc has ever tried using the intersection at 4-5pm.. backed up from central to tesco, takes over 45mins to do a uturn, about 15-20mins to get from the furniture shop to the intersection

[sendintheclowns]

Ha! Talking of backups. I needed to get from Supercheep to Blue Carina ( resort back of PIH), at 6.30 pm. I had 4 liters of wine in the car and was sorely tempted to start drinking, by the time I got to the Toyota turn-on to the Bypass road. I'll be taken to task for this. But Army Engineering could have popped up overpasses, in sequence 1,2,3 far faster. Will Thai-ItaliIan get seriously penalized for the delays at Tesco?

[hansgruber]

All takes to time to develop the Phuket road system. I remember the days when the main road north off the island (and to the airport) was just a regular 2 way road. I also remember the years of horror while the dual carriageway was being built. Now it's just a high speed horror show of accidents.

Even the widening of Wiset Rd to Rawai wasnt that long ago.

[madmitch]

Ha! Talking of backups. I needed to get from Supercheep to Blue Carina ( resort back of PIH), at 6.30 pm. I had 4 liters of wine in the car and was sorely tempted to start drinking, by the time I got to the Toyota turn-on to the Bypass road. I'll be taken to task for this. But Army Engineering could have popped up overpasses, in sequence 1,2,3 far faster. Will Thai-ItaliIan get seriously penalized for the delays at Tesco?

I can't see Ital-Thai being penalised as they are not the contractors. Civil Engineering Co Ld on the other hand should be severely fined and have the Chalong Underpass contract voided (hopefully not to be reissued to anyone!).

Edited December 9, 2015 by madmitch

[Felt 35]

Whether in Asia, Europe or the States the verdict is in: New roads dont help congestion, and, new lanes add congestion. Traffic increases thanks to the new, open capacity, as more cars get rolling and polluting. Why extend the vulnerable infrastructure and cover up more arable land, when the economy marches toward collapse? When the Chinese shoppers disappear (oh they will) there will be only highways, unemployed taxi drivers, a few frustrated foreigners with assets gone down in the sand and empty shopping mals left here.