Is the tunnel worth it?

[crickets]

Soi khao noi and khao talo are now screwed from 3pm to 6pm getting to sukumvit because of the extra traffic on the train road. That tunnel is still going to hit red lights on thepprasit and pattaya tai. 3 years waiting for a bypass of pattaya klang? I cant see this working. I think the only benefit is for harbor mall pattaya. I wonder what the cost would be compared to an upgrade of the train road because there is so much space.

[gk10002000]

it will be a huge disaster. Never mind the traffic delays during construction and the budget over runs, the infrastructure impacts will be huge. The tunnel will allow water to get under the soil in ways they are ignoring. Building foundations will be ruined. Just wait and see.

[marinediscoking]

it will be a huge disaster. Never mind the traffic delays during construction and the budget over runs, the infrastructure impacts will be huge. The tunnel will allow water to get under the soil in ways they are ignoring. Building foundations will be ruined. Just wait and see.

Some rain will get in the tunnel, but its located at the highest part of suk. rd in pattaya so unless water starts flowing up hill it should be fine.

it seems the whole project was set up to be the retirement fund for someone in city hall that we all know. I would think for the same amount of money for this one tunnel that "fly overs" could have been built for all intersections from N. Pattaya rd. past Teappasit rd.

[Don Mega]

That tunnel is still going to hit red lights on thepprasit and pattaya tai.

More tunnels are planned to sort that out.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Nothing to do now but wait and see ?

[loppylugs1]

Is it worth it? of course,of course it is. Good to see a country and city making an absolute cock up of virtually everything it sets out to do,just awaiting the high speed rail project to come through,, bursting off the rails

[doctormann]

it will be a huge disaster. Never mind the traffic delays during construction and the budget over runs, the infrastructure impacts will be huge. The tunnel will allow water to get under the soil in ways they are ignoring. Building foundations will be ruined. Just wait and see.

Some rain will get in the tunnel, but its located at the highest part of suk. rd in pattaya so unless water starts flowing up hill it should be fine.

it seems the whole project was set up to be the retirement fund for someone in city hall that we all know. I would think for the same amount of money for this one tunnel that "fly overs" could have been built for all intersections from N. Pattaya rd. past Teappasit rd.

The laws of physics do not apply in Thailand.

Water flows uphill here - or is expected to do so anyway, judging by the way the drains have been sited in my village!

DM

[i claudius]

Three years , when was anything completed on time here , unless of course it is rushed ,not built to spec and collapses the first time its used .

[DD13]

An overhead bypass above the rail track would have been easier, less inconvenience, and possibly cheaper .......the rail road is a straight 10 kms in length

[digbeth]

With regards to coming out of the tunnel and hittting a redlight, there is a South Pattaya tunnel in the pipeline, probably will start as soon as the Klang one is finished, so look forward of another decade of gridlock

[KittenKong]

An overhead bypass above the rail track would have been easier, less inconvenience, and possibly cheaper .......the rail road is a straight 10 kms in length

Yes, without knowing all the details that would have made more sense to me also. The overhead Chonburi expressway is great.

I suspect that these tunnels will just lead to massive congestion at Naklua, though maybe something has been planned about that.

[guzzi850m2]

Lots hope it's worth it.

If it isn't, nobody will be blamed anyway so why worry about, the sun will shine again tomorrow no matter what

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

There's been a small positive byproduct of the tunnel project. Authorities have inserted new concrete "tiles" between the rails to smooth out the Khao Noi rail crossing. As a motorcyclist, I really notice the difference.

[lonewolf99]

I got a great view of the lack of progress on the tunnel the other day from the elevated seat of the airport bus.

If this project is finished in less than 5 years to quote Roy Keane - I am a Chinaman....

They appear to be doing it the cheap way. You dig a channel then put a roof on it with vertical vents for fumes. There is no tunneling equipment.

Since they are using the same line and going below the level of the old storm drain, even if you have an IQ of less than 70 you realise there is one route for heavy rain. But you never know, the whole thing could be linked to the new drains being laid out at sea off Pattaya beach.....

[oneday]

Won't have any idea until it's finished.

My guess is no or it will be lacking in something or it could have been better or it will screw things up.

[Dogbreath]

In answer to the OP's question, yes it is worth it. It's worth it to those who stand to benefit financially from the construction of the project. There will be lots of money spread around and fortunes will be made. For the citizens of Pattaya and the visitors it will largely be a huge pain in the posterior. Much like the endless construction of Thappraya Rd and by extension, Jomtien Second Rd which took forever to complete and which immediately fell into a state of ongoing disrepair resulting in the continued filling of rice bowls for all parties connected to the project . It;s the Thai way.

[prk888]

as I see it it's not even a tunnel. It's an underpass with roads criss-crossing over it . Correct or not?

Plenty of opportunities for vehicles to drop/crash off and into.

[ronrat]

I can't for the life of me workout why pedestrian overpasses were not built across beach,second and third roads.

[johninbkk]

it will be a huge disaster. Never mind the traffic delays during construction and the budget over runs, the infrastructure impacts will be huge. The tunnel will allow water to get under the soil in ways they are ignoring. Building foundations will be ruined. Just wait and see.

I thought I was the only person that realized this coming problem. It will also create a huge bottle neck between both directions. What fools ordered this. Same goes for the entire country now having a stupid, dumb 4 way system at every intersection. One lane in one directions goes, then it's the op;posits turn, then go to the side street. How dumb.

Notice, when they turn off the lights in all directions how smoothly the traffic moves.

[stoli]

Being from the states, I am used to continuous road work throughout all my life, but the results were always worth it. Be patient. I am sure that you will using it when finished. This is just the first stage. Progress is always slow, but necessary.

[fred Kubasa]

" Tunnel " ?, Oh, you mean the aquarium !

[DD13]

Being from the states, I am used to continuous road work throughout all my life, but the results were always worth it. Be patient. I am sure that you will using it when finished. This is just the first stage. Progress is always slow, but necessary.

Maybe In the rainy season the jet ski people will try their luck there

[Eneukman]

The tunnel might have been a good idea had it started near the Highway 36 intersection and continued past Makro so that all the through traffic could use it leaving Sukhumwit free for those travelling within town.

Alan

[johng]

The tunnel might have been a good idea had it started near the Highway 36 intersection and continued past Makro so that all the through traffic could use it leaving Sukhumwit free for those travelling within town.

Alan

Wow that would be a good idea except I fear it would take 20-30 years to complete and they would surely use the same construction technique

resulting in Sukhumvit becoming 1 lane each way for the whole length (Kilometers and time ) of construction......... back to the future.

[edd]

The only thing that was needed was an north south, south north over pass.

All the local traffic, now with NO cross traffic to contend with could flow freely.

Low cost and quickly finished.

OH !!!

That's blasphemy in Thailand.

[i claudius]

Knowing the Thai workforce ,i dread to think where the bloody thing will end up ,more than likely someone will cock up and one day when they eventually break through , Somchai will turn to his mate and say " was it supposed to come out here in Soi Burkhow?

[LennyW]

Certainly worth it for those that approved it!!!!

[Langsuan Man]

Look at the mess that is the railroad bypass for the answer to the OP's question

They had the perfect opportunity to either build over passes or under passes for the roads that cross the bypass road but they couldn't be bothered and now look at what a mess it is getting through any of those intersections

Only a fool would think that this tunnel or underpass is going to be any different once it is completed. In order to get traffic to move people have to know how to drive

It always amazed me how on a German Autobahn you could be going over 100 Kph and the traffic could merge down by one or two lanes without missing a beat, almost like a choreographed ballet, because they could understand the concept of alternate merge

In Thailand everyone has to be first

[i claudius]

I love Thailand ,but i have no misconceptions about it and the people

land of false smiles , should be land of me first.

[Basil B]

Is it worth it...

Yes, to some well connected people...

Will it be of benefit to the users of the Sukumvit?

Well let's see if it ever gets completed first...