Two new year U-turns .............

[prk888]

on thinking about this that message was cleaned within 24 hours so City Hall must be very aware.

I suspect it is local motorcyclists that have the perceived grievances

To my mind as City Hall has done nothing positive for nearly 6 months now I really cant imagine these will be opened again ('these' being U-Turns and not junctions post #178 - please do try to keep up)

[johng]

I hope they stay closed as they would only encourage people to try and cut across 4 lanes of motorway traffic trying to get into Makro from the south bound lane U-turn

even worse I fear you would see some ( much less but still some ) trying to exit Makro and go wrong way along Sukhumvit to get back onto south bound lane via the U-turn.

IMHO U-turns are one of the most dangerous places on the Thai roads, I know it would cost much more but if they insist on U -turns on these high speed motorways they should make them elevated U-bridges much safer.

[gmac]

I hope they stay closed as they would only encourage people to try and cut across 4 lanes of motorway traffic trying to get into Makro from the south bound lane U-turn

even worse I fear you would see some ( much less but still some ) trying to exit Makro and go wrong way along Sukhumvit to get back onto south bound lane via the U-turn.

IMHO U-turns are one of the most dangerous places on the Thai roads, I know it would cost much more but if they insist on U -turns on these high speed motorways they should make them elevated U-bridges much safer.

The elevated bridges are all well and good but having spent some time driving in Bangkok recently I have found them to be just as dangerous as they are inevitably poorly sign-posted and sometimes go from the left lane and sometimes from the right. Stuck behind a couple of trucks and looking for a u-turn you can find yourself in the left lane watching the u-turn disappear 3 lanes away to your right. Or worse, be driving along minding your own business in the right hand lane passing slower traffic when your supposed fast lane suddenly turns out to be be leading straight up a ramp to a u-turn!

[prk888]

so with this clarification we are now much further forward in understanding the situation ..............................

PATTAYA: On 28 May 2016 at Pattaya City Hall, Mr. Thongchai Arjsong a Pattaya City Council member gave a speech regarding the U-Turn project on Sukhumvit Road near the entrance of Makro and top of Soi Nongkrabok.

Mr. Thongchai announced that Pattaya City Council had not agreed with the construction plan but the project was carried out anyway until completion although now blocked and until this day,still not operational.

The many complaints from people in the area is causing concern with Pattaya City Council.

This project is under the Transport Engineering and Logistic Department, and in the past it appeared that there were several problems in some projects i.e. over budget, traffic signages and were not been placed in the right location or work wasn’t performed with proper care. Some projects were not in the correct operational timeline.

[prk888]

oh dear, I forgot this part of the report ..........................

"Planned to reduce congestion and accidents !!

Watch this space.

Mr. Anuwat Thongkam Transport and Engineering’s Director informed the meeting that the new U-Turn in front of Makro is to replace the old one to reduce traffic congestion and road accidents. It was started after agreement and approval of Chonburi’s Governor

[prk888]

some progress ............................

The old, now defunct U-Turn has today been re-turfed (beautification ?) as has the central reservation between the two new U-turns. Fortunately these new ones are still blocked and unusable, thank heavens..

Now why would this happen?

Watch this space ...............................

[prk888]

there are now two large holes either end of this new central reservation section between these new u-turns.  Large & deep enough for tall lampposts maybe?    And then ............................ ? 

[onemorechang]

2 hours ago, prk888 said:

there are now two large holes either end of this new central reservation section between these new u-turns.  Large & deep enough for tall lampposts maybe?    And then ............................ ? 

 

When installed maybe ,  they will turn them on

when it gets dark.

[onemorechang]

On 25/10/2016 at 5:43 PM, prk888 said:

there are now two large holes either end of this new central reservation section between these new u-turns.  Large & deep enough for tall lampposts maybe?    And then ............................ ? 

 

Not looking good some new sign posts with some flashing orange lights

and a signs covered up,   saw them yesterday on north bound side.

 oh dear,   could be bad news !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[prk888]

Signs on both sides and my  wife says they say be something like be very careful about these  'dangerous' U-turns.  

 

No advance warning, just a sign directly on the turn .

 

Don't blame us and don't say we didn't warn you !

 

Hard to believe really

[NanLaew]

13 hours ago, prk888 said:

Signs on both sides and my  wife says they say be something like be very careful about these  'dangerous' U-turns.  

 

No advance warning, just a sign directly on the turn .

 

Don't blame us and don't say we didn't warn you !

 

Hard to believe really

At last!

 

Now I can get back to some serious bullet dodging when shopping at Makro. Since the tunnel shennaigans started, there's been very few opportunities on Sukhumvit for the pure adrenaline rush... of getting home in one piece.

[johng]

At last!

 

Since the tunnel shennaigans started, there's been very few opportunities on Sukhumvit for the pure adrenaline rush... of getting home in one piece.

My favorite shananigan was by the boy racer who zoomed past me chicaning wildly across the whole width of sukumvit, about 200 meters up the road very near to the Tesco /Theprasit junction he did a full 360 degree hand brake turn

Almost ending up in the central ditch then before we even caught up (no I wasn't racing him ) did a tyre burn out and zoomed off again.

[onemorechang]

29 minutes ago, johng said:

My favorite shananigan was by the boy racer who zoomed past me chicaning wildly across the whole width of sukumvit, about 200 meters up the road very near to the Tesco /Theprasit junction he did a full 360 degree hand brake turn

Almost ending up in the central ditch then before we even caught up (no I wasn't racing him ) did a tyre burn out and zoomed off again.

 

Always wondered what the minivan drivers do on there day off.

[prk888]

slowly slowly .................... continuous white lines with some hatching now painted on the fast lanes of each u-turn exit.  They'll solve the potential Russian roulette problem right enough

[johng]

I noticed on the southbound carriageway they have a quite large  sign post overhanging the road  indicating a U-turn

its about 10 meters ( maybe more )  before the  still blocked off U-turn,   while I very much welcome the fact that there is a prominent sign

( unlike 99% of other U-turns around Pattaya )  there need to be more early  warnings of an upcoming U-turn on such a fast road  as Sukhumvit.

early warning to give road users a chance to move to the correct lane for the turn and warn  those not U-turning that some idiot is about to cross 4 lanes to either get to or exit the U-turn.

[prk888]

32 minutes ago, johng said:

I noticed on the southbound carriageway they have a quite large  sign post overhanging the road  indicating a U-turn

its about 10 meters ( maybe more )  before the  still blocked off U-turn,   while I very much welcome the fact that there is a prominent sign

( unlike 99% of other U-turns around Pattaya )  there need to be more early  warnings of an upcoming U-turn on such a fast road  as Sukhumvit.

early warning to give road users a chance to move to the correct lane for the turn and warn  those not U-turning that some idiot is about to cross 4 lanes to either get to or exit the U-turn.

 

see my post ID 190 above Johng.    You can play Russian Roluette but beware it can kill.

[prk888]

Oh dear, oh dear,  oh dear  ..................

 

Zuma,  Duterte,  Trump and now these U-turns have opened.

 

The dangers are blindingly obvious .............  turning slowly into the speeding traffic fast lanes, getting from the southbound one almost directly across to Makro and then Underwater World departers  who want to go south

 

Drive very very carefully.

[onemorechang]

1 hour ago, prk888 said:

Oh dear, oh dear,  oh dear  ..................

 

Zuma,  Duterte,  Trump and now these U-turns have opened.

 

The dangers are blindingly obvious .............  turning slowly into the speeding traffic fast lanes, getting from the southbound one almost directly across to Makro and then Underwater World departers  who want to go south

 

Drive very very carefully.

 

Oh well back to normal.

What ever that is,    on the roads around Pattaya.

i look forward to the multiple crashes to be  reported on Thaivisa.

 

Stupid is as Stupid does.

Amazing Pattaya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, prk888 said:

Oh dear, oh dear,  oh dear  ..................

 

Zuma,  Duterte,  Trump and now these U-turns have opened.

 

The dangers are blindingly obvious .............  turning slowly into the speeding traffic fast lanes, getting from the southbound one almost directly across to Makro and then Underwater World departers  who want to go south

 

Drive very very carefully.

Cool! I am gonna give 'em a shot manana during the 5 PM rush hour.

[johng]

Did you wait for a total gap in traffic to do your death defying dash across 4 lanes of fast moving traffic...or just close your eyes and rely on the "invincibility amulet" ?

[couchpotato]

I thought this thread was about the U-turns not the tunnel, so here is U-turn info updated today.

Both U-turns have been revamped and to me it is a job well done. Plenty of signage and enough of a turn lane for most situations.

Of course be careful as always when driving in pattaya, but this is good progress in my humble opinion.

Edited November 11, 2016 by couchpotato
spelling

[Langsuan Man]

 

19 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

Plenty of signage and enough of a turn lane for most situations.

 

Well it is open as of today, Friday, and of course the first vehicle I saw using it was a Tourist Bus, which took up two lanes of  Northbound  Sukumvit to navigate the U turn.  And the traffic was unusually light today

 

Good luck to all you Makro shoppers 

[Rimmer]

Some off topic posts have been removed

[onemorechang]

48 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

I thought this thread was about the U-turns not the tunnel, so here is U-turn info updated today.

Both U-turns have been revamped and to me it is a job well done. Plenty of signage and enough of a turn lane for most situations.

Of course be careful as always when driving in pattaya, but this is good progress in my humble opinion.

 

Wrong

But i have never considered it any more dangerous than the rest of the mad

u-turns on the high ways.

I look forward to the photos of the accidents .

Amazing Pattaya

[SimpleChap]

40 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

 

 

Well it is open as of today, Friday, and of course the first vehicle I saw using it was a Tourist Bus, which took up two lanes of  Northbound  Sukumvit to navigate the U turn.  And the traffic was unusually light today

 

Good luck to all you Makro shoppers 

Think it opened yesterday, as I considered starting a thread about because in my opinion the carnage that will happen there, by users who go straight over to Makro, will be unaccounted for.

 

 

[johng]

From Pattaya watchdog facebook page

 

 

 

This last one is very apt

U turn ahead   watch out danger !

Edited November 12, 2016 by johng

[craigt3365]

Drove by last night.  Both open and much less traffic at the Watboon light.  That's been a mess for some time now.

[NanLaew]

On 11/11/2016 at 7:55 PM, Langsuan Man said:

 

 

Well it is open as of today, Friday, and of course the first vehicle I saw using it was a Tourist Bus, which took up two lanes of  Northbound  Sukumvit to navigate the U turn.  And the traffic was unusually light today

 

Good luck to all you Makro shoppers 

I guess the bus driver dipsh!t behind the wheel reckoned he's just a 6-wheeler. They need to supersize the relevant signage... or put some of the big concrete blocks back in.

[prk888]

well these have been open for nearly 4 weeks and i have to say my worst fears have not  materialised.  I pass these U turns several times every day and so far have not seen one accident - several close calls especially cutting northwards across to Makro and also cutting south to soi 89 but nothing too serious.

 

Perhaps the length of time (nearly one year from initial opening & immediate closing  to recent re-opening ) helped a bit, anyway very good news so far.

[giddyup]

I used the U turn for the first time to cross into Makro. You do need to be very careful, but as long as you're not playing Russian roulette, it's safe.