Samkong Underpass will open April 10 says Transport Minister
Darawan Naknakhon


Transport Minster Arkom Termpittayapaisith (left) during his visit to the Samkong underpass construction site yesterday (Feb 11).

PHUKET: -- The Samkong Underpass must be open to traffic no later than April 10 the Transport Minister told representatives of the construction company responsible for the work during a visit to the site yesterday (Feb 11).

Transport Minster Arkom Termpittayapaisith and a team from the Ministry of Transport visited the construction site yesterday to check on progress of the project.

Mr Termpittayapaisith said, “Construction of the underpass was delayed again at the beginning of the year due to rain and floods. I was told that some of the road on the southbound side collapsed but workers have already repaired the area and made the road surface safer.

“I have also been told that more steel reinforcement bars have been put in the retaining wall. The durability of the wall was inspected by engineers from the Highways Department and Thailand Engineering, especially on the side where the road collapsed,” he said.

“I have ordered the construction company to make the road going into the tunnel as soon as possible and open the tunnel for traffic on April 10. The contractor said they will finish on that day. If they do not they will face a fine.

“To solve the issue of flooding during the rainy season, the contractor will set up 4 large water pumps as designed by the Highways Department,” he added.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/samkong-underpass-will-open-april-10-says-transport-minister-56187.php


-- Phuket News 2016-02-12

I was thinking of making this a case study for my MBA students.

I won't do that, the students would say it's unrealistic, not possible.

a decent portion of the road is already built. I told my gf this would happen a couple weeks ago.

Govt gets involved, company starts working to avoid prosecution because even hiso daddies have to bow down to junta

they "fake work" (as they have people digging the side of the road in front of index now, but the diggin was already done)

and pave the roads to let cars go through, as they are paving they get less penalities and the govt saves face.

They open quickly 1 lane each side, with the danger of the whole thing collapsing but its ok because its open.

company stops working

people die

junta blames rich daddy hiso

rich daddy hiso is in dubai

nothing happens, they build a pass over.

Too bad gambling is illegal here as I'd like to place a punt that it won't be fully open and operational by said due date.

Fortunately he did not say what year.

Fortunately he did not say what year.

Exactly 10 April 2017 maybe ..

This Transport Minister nust be in a dream world.

I reckon the bypass / Toyota junction one is more likely to be complete first.

“I have ordered the construction company to make the road going into the tunnel as soon as possible and open the tunnel for traffic on April 10. The contractor said they will finish on that day. If they do not they will face a fine.

Wait, isn't there already a 2M THB fine per day in effect? Was that suddenly waved or is this another fine on top?

And was the 10th April arbitrarily chosen or does that have some kind of basis in the contract?

Would be nice if The Phuket News could do a bit more investigation and asking questions instead of just reporting what is basically a press release.

O.K. it just might be open on April 10th but how long will it be before it's closed for repairs !

So the steel girders which are in place now bracing the walls are there to stop collapse. Surely there must be a fault in the structure as already evidenced by the road collapsing above it & surely that needs a permanent fix.

They obviously want it open for Songkran. It has been decreed for the 10th of April, so be it.

Transport Minister demands underpass tunnel completion within two months
Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- The Transport Minister of Thailand has given the construction company in charge of the Samkong Underpass until April 10 to complete the project.

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith stopped by the site yesterday to check on progress and speak with representatives of the construction company, Wiwat Construction Co Ltd.

“Engineers from the Department of Highways and the Engineering Institute of Thailand have checked the walls thoroughly to make sure that they are secure, especially where the road cracked (story here),” said Minister Arkhom.

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Transport-Minister-demands-underpass-tunnel-completion-within/63132?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-02-12

Fortunately he did not say what year.

Exactly 10 April 2017 maybe ..

This Transport Minister nust be in a dream world.

Yes, notice no mention of what year.

Complete the construction quickly = cut even more corners thereby endangering the safety of motorists using the underpass. I hate to think what will happen to the Pattaya Sukhumvit/Pattaya Klang Underpass!!!

Complete the construction quickly = cut even more corners thereby endangering the safety of motorists using the underpass. I hate to think what will happen to the Pattaya Sukhumvit/Pattaya Klang Underpass!!!

hiso's drive there, it'll be safe.

I reckon the bypass / Toyota junction one is more likely to be complete first.

I said the same about a week ago or so, but no takers for the bet on offer :)T

his morning though I saw some people working at the Samkong intersection, at least 10. The machines were doing nothing though. In contrast at the Toyota intersection all machines were very busy.

I went past the underpass project yesterday for the first time in a few weeks.

What a hive of activity! It seems the bomb put under their backside has actually had some effect.

Many people and much machinery are working on the access roads at both ends, digging them out, laying road base, etc.

They are filling in the drainage work on the side roads and even the drains on the eastern side of CFW heading towards the Central tunnel, which have been left open for years (couldn't find sand!), are getting deliveries of road base!

Maybe, just maybe, they will finish the bloody thing!

Amazing what a 2 million baht/day fine will do ...

I went past the underpass project yesterday for the first time in a few weeks.

What a hive of activity! It seems the bomb put under their backside has actually had some effect.

Many people and much machinery are working on the access roads at both ends, digging them out, laying road base, etc.

They are filling in the drainage work on the side roads and even the drains on the eastern side of CFW heading towards the Central tunnel, which have been left open for years (couldn't find sand!), are getting deliveries of road base!

Maybe, just maybe, they will finish the bloody thing!

Wonder if they've 'borrowed' the "many people and machinery" from their other project?

Oh no. Just realized its the same company thats doing the Chalong tunnel.

Might see a few flying pigs on that day. I suppose it is possible the underpass section could be open but all the surrounding bits will not be finished.