Work on Phuket’s Chalong underpass begins
The Phuket News


Lanes were blocked off yesterday (Dec 17) as work on the Chalong Underpass began.

PHUKET: -- Lanes were blocked off at Phuket’s critical southern five-way intersection at Chalong Circle yesterday (Dec 17) as work began on the B546-million underpass, marking the start of at least two years of roadworks at one of the busiest traffic junctions on the island.

Traffic cones and barriers were placed to shut down two lanes in front of the Homepro shopping mall on Chao Fa West Rd as workers prepared the area to install new drains along the roadside.

Motorists are urged to proceed with caution through the area, said Samak Lueduanghad, Director of the Highways Department Phuket office.

“The construction company, Civil Engineering, will start work excavating as soon as area been blocked off. Workers will to installing the drains from in front of the Chevrolet car dealership to the entrance of public health centre (opposite Homepro),” he told The Phuket News yesterday.

Project Engineer Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, also from the Highways Department, explained, “This is the first phrase of the construction. We need to install the drains first and widen the road to ease traffic congestion when proceed with the tunnel construction sometime next year.”

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/work-on-phuket-chalong-underpass-begins-55463.php


-- Phuket News 2015-12-18

And of course no plans for deviations as usual, well done

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Well at least I'm on a motorcycle, those of you in cars............have fun.

Well at least I'm on a motorcycle, those of you in cars............have fun.

Ive given up driving and gone back to bikes.

Its refreshing. I park with ease and traffic doesnt make me angry anymore.

Ive got that old Phuket feeling back that i once had as a newbie.

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Thats the water pipe work that comes all along Patak rd and swings around to Choafa west.

And of course no plans for deviations as usual, well done

For me it's round the back of HomePro.

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Why is there not a meeting as it was for the "Movie Museum"?

If I remember correctly, there was talk about removing the pillars, they are still there.

And of course no plans for deviations as usual, well done

For me it's round the back of HomePro.

Thats what everyone is doing and its log jammed.

Go through homepro has less traffic for now.

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Thats the water pipe work that comes all along Patak rd and swings around to Choafa west.

You just have to love the planning that goes on. Was there no plan way back when the road was completely redone to not allow for expansion of public water works, sewer system, or perhaps even underground electric? How about some extra conduits pipes etc. put into place so if cables or whatnot needs to be added, all that is needed to be done is to pull wire, cable etc.

With traffic already backed up to Makro at certain times of the day, I can only guess how bad and how long the tailbacks will eventually grow to.

So it begins.

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Thats the water pipe work that comes all along Patak rd and swings around to Choafa west.

You just have to love the planning that goes on. Was there no plan way back when the road was completely redone to not allow for expansion of public water works, sewer system, or perhaps even underground electric? How about some extra conduits pipes etc. put into place so if cables or whatnot needs to be added, all that is needed to be done is to pull wire, cable etc.

With traffic already backed up to Makro at certain times of the day, I can only guess how bad and how long the tailbacks will eventually grow to.

Planning? There are a few words like planning, possible and a few others that are deliberately not translated and therefore non existent in all languages.

From the picture it looks that coming from the north, it's not possible to turn into Homepro Village and all in Homepro Village must be happy about that. Will be fun for their big delivery trucks. Even better at their Tuesday night market.

I will not be surprised when they will close the gate at the back when they see all the traffic passing through the parking.

Well at least I'm on a motorcycle, those of you in cars............have fun.

Ive given up driving and gone back to bikes.

Its refreshing. I park with ease and traffic doesnt make me angry anymore.

Ive got that old Phuket feeling back that i once had as a newbie.

Can't agree more. Riding a bike is the only thing that keeps me sane around here. I really mean that.

Good luck to the fellas living in Rawai who drive a car.

Why the **** can't they make Civil Engineering Co., Ltd, finish their other totally screwed up project before allowing them to start on a new one?

The road planners are the best picture for this country's high education - hard to find.

Just look at the construction site at Tesco and the road already breaking apart at Central. Geniuses at work !

There used to be a joke going around about God being a town planner, as who else would put a sewage outlet so close to a playground.

But... This is planning at its worse... An underpass which is on land only a few feet above sea level, and not much further away from the sea, to boot...

I believe that overpasses were dismissed because of the visual impact ( eyesore) it would cause, which is ridiculous

Anyway.... Widening the roads as a prelude to the beginning of real works, seems to be all that's required, because that would enable improvements ( enlargement) to the circle, which would make the circle work more efficiently...

And maybe if the authorities would stop the damn buses doing seventeen point u turns 100 meters up from the circle, the circle would work better

The council needs to buy back some properties and actually "plan" the works

Oh... And maybe if pigs started to fly...

Did anyone stop to consider Ambulances getting through to Rawai.

I can symapthise with the misery it will cause. In Pattaya we have the same situation, with three more years to endure it!

Did anyone stop to consider Ambulances getting through to Rawai.

No. They just sit in the traffic like everyone else with the sirens wailing.

Did anyone stop to consider Ambulances getting through to Rawai.

You make an excellent point?

In the real world, this would be cause for an injunction

In a real world, the council would probably be held accountable for delays, or repercussion for delays ( lawsuits)

In the real world, Emergency services are critical issues during pre planning

But... TIT, not the real world, so we will soon be seeing motorbikes with stretchers attached to the sides

make underpass at sea level... ok?

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

No, only the few shortcuts just before the circle. Unless you want to go via patong.

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

The only other ways are either go through HomePro or the soi behind it or via Patong.

Chao Fa West is one giant long constrution zone with no relief in site for the next few years. What a clustertruck.

Why is there not a meeting as it was for the "Movie Museum"?

If I remember correctly, there was talk about removing the pillars, they are still there.

There was few public meeting awhile back if memory serves.

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

The only other ways are either go through HomePro or the soi behind it or via Patong.

Or the soi before it. Afaik there are 3 shortcuts.

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

The only other ways are either go through HomePro or the soi behind it or via Patong.

Or the soi before it. Afaik there are 3 shortcuts.

Thats what i meant by the soi behind it

There is a big sign for the short cut before HomePro. Can't miss it.

Going from Kata to Phuket town. Is there a way to avoid this place. Some detour that is easy to find if you'r not use to drive in the area? Thanks for suggestions.

The only other ways are either go through HomePro or the soi behind it or via Patong.

Or the soi before it. Afaik there are 3 shortcuts.

Thats what i meant by the soi behind it

So to be clear: there is a soi before Homepro, there is Homepro and there is one after Homepro. All lead to Chao Fa West.

How is that a shortcut? When people try to cross over on patak, will anyone let them? People are usualy in a hurry to block anyone crossing so that they can break hard behind the stopped cars a few meters ahead