Samkong Underpass opens Sunday, not completely finished until July

[snoop1130]

Samkong Underpass opens Sunday, not completely finished until July
Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: -- The northbound lane of the long-awaited Samkong Underpass will be open to traffic on Sunday, confirmed the project engineer today.

“Northbound motorists will have to use the underpass as the construction company works on the road surface of the northbound, ground-level roadway,” explained Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, the project engineer from the Department of Highways.

Just last week, Boon Tapanadul from the Bangkok Ombudsman’s Office was told that the more than 800-million-baht project would be fully operational by May (story here). However, as part of a seemingly never ending string of delays, the Phuket Gazette learned today that the project would not be finished until the end of July, more than a year behind schedule.

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Samkong-Underpass-opens-Sunday-not-completely-finished/63638?desktopversion#ad-image-0

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-04-08

[LivinginKata]

"not completely finished until July" - yeah right .... dream on baby ...

[bearpolar]

No year next to july

[eisfeld]

And this company is still allowed to start construction of the underpass in Chalong? Bruahaha

[godden]

I just wish they would finish the underpass in Pattaya, should have done an over pass but i think we all know why they didn't.

[Bob12345]

Guess the underpass will be cheap after the construction company pays all the fines for late completion.

The local Phuket government might even make a profit on it if they stall more.

Oh wait, this is Thailand, brown envelopes will be passed around and the people of Phuket will miss out (again).

[grumpyoldman]

Certain amount of subjectivity I guess to the word "open"

[Jimi007]

And this company is still allowed to start construction of the underpass in Chalong? Bruahaha

Exactly. They can't finish one underpass and the other contractor has almost completed two underpasses. All of us who live in Rawai are screwed for several years I fear. Good thing I rent, I might have to bail out...

[Old Croc]

Temporarily shunting northbound traffic through an uncompleted tunnel while they work on the slip road, is not what I call an "opening".

I hope they're still paying their daily fines for failing to meet targets.

[LivinginKata]

Temporarily shunting northbound traffic through an uncompleted tunnel while they work on the slip road, is not what I call an "opening".

I hope they're still paying their daily fines for failing to meet targets.

No chance of fines - the fat brown letters have been delivered ,,,

[crankshaft]

I just wish they would finish the underpass in Pattaya, should have done an over pass but i think we all know why they didn't.

Why?...

[Felt 35]

Pass

[Old Croc]

One of the many crappy jobs I had when I first left school, was wielding a shovel behind a hotmix machine.

I'm pretty sure we never laid a surface as thin and patchy as that pictured.

[PETERTHEEATER]

One of the many crappy jobs I had when I first left school, was wielding a shovel behind a hotmix machine.

I'm pretty sure we never laid a surface as thin and patchy as that pictured.

Check out the driver/operator of the machine; he's dozing and hasn't adjusted the carpet thickness. Either that or the Company boss has padlocked the thickness control to 'Scant'

[DrDave]

Soooo, did anyone experience driving through the tunnel today?

Yesterday, they were scrambling to pave the ingress and egress ramps. Even my Thai wife laughed out loud when she saw the "countdown sign" that said the tunnel would open in one day.

[Bob12345]

Passed by this morning and no traffic going through it at around 10AM.

[Old Croc]

I don't know if they had speeches and ribbon cutting at the grand opening today, but half the tunnel is taking traffic.

At least this tunnel will have four lanes and a divider separating vehicles, unlike the other, idiotically designed, one further south.

(picture from Phuket News)

Edited April 10, 2016 by Old Croc

[webfact]

Phuket Sam Kong Underpass opens northbound lanes
The Phuket News


The two northbound lanes through the Sam Kong Underpass opened to traffic today (Apr 10). Photo: Supatra Sutham

PHUKET: -- Highways officials opened two lanes northbound through the long-awaited Sam Kong Underpass today (Apr 10) to alleviate traffic at the busy site until after the Thai New Year Songkran holidays are over.

“Lights and temporary water pumps have already installed in the tunnel and the northbound lanes in the tunnel are open for the public to use while workers finish the southbound lanes,” explained Samak Lueduanghad, Director of the Highways Department Phuket office.

Northbound traffic can still use the above ground road to pass through the intersection, he added.

Motorcycles, for the time being, are allowed through the underpass as a temporary measure in order to reduce the usual heavy traffic at the site, Mr Samak said.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sam-kong-underpass-opens-northbound-lanes-56975.php

-- Phuket News 2016-04-11

[Somtamnication]

Watch out for those left-over bolts and nails.

[craigt3365]

When did the project start? I see they were initially given about 2 years to finish.

[LivinginKata]

When did the project start? I see they were initially given about 2 years to finish.

As far as I can remember is started about mid November 2013 and was expected to be complete 2 years later about end of 2015.

Edited April 11, 2016 by LivinginKata

[eisfeld]

I drove through there in the early morning hours. Some debris on the lane and unfinished stuff hanging from the ceiling that looked like it would fall down any moment now. Any sane safety officer wouldn't have let traffic go through there but we all know that's wishful thinking. There were also no workers in sight. Guess they just opened it because someone previously declared this day to be the opening day and hoped for the best. I think during the coming raining season this underpass will provide a few more news stories.

[DrDave]

I drove through there in the early morning hours. Some debris on the lane and unfinished stuff hanging from the ceiling that looked like it would fall down any moment now. Any sane safety officer wouldn't have let traffic go through there but we all know that's wishful thinking. There were also no workers in sight. Guess they just opened it because someone previously declared this day to be the opening day and hoped for the best. I think during the coming raining season this underpass will provide a few more news stories.

Driving past on Saturday, I saw a lot of what looked to be pieces of steel rebar just lying across the cement beams that form the open ceiling at the entrance of the tunnel. If any of those were to fall onto the traffic below, it would bring certain death.

I agree that the rainy season could cause some new issues. The words "temporary pumps" don't instill a lot of confidence.

[stevenl]

I drove through there in the early morning hours. Some debris on the lane and unfinished stuff hanging from the ceiling that looked like it would fall down any moment now. Any sane safety officer wouldn't have let traffic go through there but we all know that's wishful thinking. There were also no workers in sight. Guess they just opened it because someone previously declared this day to be the opening day and hoped for the best. I think during the coming raining season this underpass will provide a few more news stories.

Looks like I was before you, if was not open yet at 05.30.

[eisfeld]

I drove through there in the early morning hours. Some debris on the lane and unfinished stuff hanging from the ceiling that looked like it would fall down any moment now. Any sane safety officer wouldn't have let traffic go through there but we all know that's wishful thinking. There were also no workers in sight. Guess they just opened it because someone previously declared this day to be the opening day and hoped for the best. I think during the coming raining season this underpass will provide a few more news stories.

Looks like I was before you, if was not open yet at 05.30.

I drove at around 02:30 and it was open.

[stevenl]

I drove through there in the early morning hours. Some debris on the lane and unfinished stuff hanging from the ceiling that looked like it would fall down any moment now. Any sane safety officer wouldn't have let traffic go through there but we all know that's wishful thinking. There were also no workers in sight. Guess they just opened it because someone previously declared this day to be the opening day and hoped for the best. I think during the coming raining season this underpass will provide a few more news stories.

Looks like I was before you, if was not open yet at 05.30.

I drove at around 02:30 and it was open.

On the 10th? Judging from your post time it was the 11th, I was on the day it was supposed to open.

Sorry for the confusion, very bad internet here, Im just waiting for the right times to go online .

[eisfeld]

On the 11th, the day I posted. So yea I guess they opened sometime during the afternoon/evening of the 10th which was the day they were told to open iirc.

[Valentine]

Looked like quite a bit of demolition & reconstruction happening on the other side of the underpass where they had the road cave in above by the entrance to Lotus.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Valentine

[Old Croc]

Coming from the south, can you now turn right towards the city, or do you still need to go well past and U-turn?

[stevenl]

Coming from the south, can you now turn right towards the city, or do you still need to go well past and U-turn?

Last time I saw it, which was after the opening', U-turn.