Rain blamed as Phuket underpass completion deferred until September

The Phuket News

 

‘Machines at work. Do not pass’ says a sign at the Sam kong Underpass construction site today (Aug 29). Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

PHUKET:-- Heavy downpours have again delayed progress in the completion of the Sam Kong Underpass, with the lead project engineer frustrated that the project is only “a week” away from completion.

 

The underpass is now expected to be completed “next month”, Chalermpon Wongkietkun, Project Engineer from the Highways Department, told The Phuket News today (Aug29).

 

“The heavy rain is the main problem preventing completion of the underpass. The only main work to be done is to tarmac the roads,” Mr Chalermpon said.

 

“The surfacing of the roads – both those above ground and through the tunnel itself – is the only major work that remains to be done, and we cannot do that while there is heavy rain.

 

“If the rain stopped for just one week, we would be finished within just one week,” Mr Chalermpon said.

 

Full Story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/rain-blamed-as-phuket-underpass-completion-deferred-until-september-58897.php#p5eqP7C1odEf3VVg.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-08-29

No surprise there ... all just a construction joke ...

September is known to be dry, isn't it?. So be optimistic

Ahh- the naughty rain strikes again- crashes, construction delays, flooding, and, when it doesn't appear, drought. It really needs to be locked up out of harms way 

This project has been going for about three years.

Being in the tropics, wet seasons have come and gone. To continually use rainy days as an excuse for being a year or so behind is pathetic.

We had an extended dry season (drought) this year and yet there didn't seem to be much activity during this period. It was probably too hot!

6 hours ago, Old Croc said:

This project has been going for about three years.

Being in the tropics, wet seasons have come and gone. To continually use rainy days as an excuse for being a year or so behind is pathetic.

We had an extended dry season (drought) this year and yet there didn't seem to be much activity during this period. It was probably too hot!

yeah you are right, but during the dry season they had a shortage of sand to fill the pothole's.

 

big earth moving yesterday on the northbound road, underground cable work, so i guess if we lucky sometime october this year they are ready.

What rain this year again, who could have guessed 

What a surprise, raining again during rainy season... 

Freaking bunch of fools altogether - unbelievable 

Looks to me more than a week's worth of work lef . I suppose it depends upon the definition of "finished" as so many projects in Thailand just don't quite have the finished look about them and I am pretty sure this is going to be no exception.

.......and once it is finally completed, they can focus their attention on the Chalong underpass.

There has been more activity there as they widen the road in preparation for excavation to begin.

 

If it took three years for the relatively straight-forward Sam Kong underpass, how long for Chalong? Four years?

There's more to these unbelievable delays than meets the eye. It is not just a coincidence that projects undertaken by ITALTHAI group are completed competently and on time. It is alleged that this project was given to a contractor without the same experience, who just happens to have HAD (i.e. pre-coup) the 'right' connections.

Of course, a few months after it has been completed, traffic will, no doubt,  be partially halted for repairs and maintenance.  Just like the new dual carriageway built near Hua Hin a little over one year ago which is now falling to bits with  large rough "repair" patches every few hundred metres, turning what was once superficially a beautiful new road and a lovely smooth ride into anytjhing but in just a few months.   Will the contractor concerned be held to account?  I don't know whether it happens here at all but I think the scheme adopted in the UK many years ago, making the contractor in his quoted price be responsible for the maintenance of the road  for a specified period, (possibly ten years) was a good one, as the contractor then had a financial interest in doing a good job at the outset, thereby avoiding  additional costs and future traffic hold-ups necessitated by maintenance issues.

15 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

No surprise there ... all just a construction joke ...

really cannot blame them if the weather is bad.

4 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

.......and once it is finally completed, they can focus their attention on the Chalong underpass.

There has been more activity there as they widen the road in preparation for excavation to begin.

 

If it took three years for the relatively straight-forward Sam Kong underpass, how long for Chalong? Four years?

a lot will depend on the facilities available. budget for the project is an important factor.

30 minutes ago, sahibji said:

a lot will depend on the facilities available. budget for the project is an important factor.

 

I think it depends more on which contractor "wins" the bid to do the work.

Unfortunately, the most complex underpass that is to be built in Phuket at the present time, has been awarded to the most inept of the two companies that are building these underpasses.

Should have gone to Ital-Thai, a respected construction company here.

53 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

I think it depends more on which contractor "wins" the bid to do the work.

Unfortunately, the most complex underpass that is to be built in Phuket at the present time, has been awarded to the most inept of the two companies that are building these underpasses.

Should have gone to Ital-Thai, a respected construction company here.

 

Goes to the company that offers the thickest brown letters ....

One word that can NOT be found in a Thai dictionary: "planning"!

Bets are on if ItalThai will finish the second underpass in less time than it takes this company to build the Sam Kong one.

 

Is the 2 million THB per day fine still in effect? They must have raked up a pretty nice bill by now.

4 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

 

I think it depends more on which contractor "wins" the bid to do the work.

Unfortunately, the most complex underpass that is to be built in Phuket at the present time, has been awarded to the most inept of the two companies that are building these underpasses.

Should have gone to Ital-Thai, a respected construction company here.

I seem to remember seeing the ItalThai logo on some of the heavy equipment being used to dig the tunnel at Samkong, as well as on some of the barricades a couple of years ago. I'm wondering if ItalThai was acting as a subcontractor, finishing their part of the project long ago instead of managing the entire project.  

13 hours ago, DrDave said:

I seem to remember seeing the ItalThai logo on some of the heavy equipment being used to dig the tunnel at Samkong, as well as on some of the barricades a couple of years ago. I'm wondering if ItalThai was acting as a subcontractor, finishing their part of the project long ago instead of managing the entire project.  

I have not seen that nor heard about that from others. I very much doubt they have been working there as a subcontractor.

To the PMT

"better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt"

The ItalThai construction at the very complex Bypass-Thepkassetri junction seems to be moving along smartly. Hope they are the ones to do the pending similar job further north at the airport road junction.

 

It will be interesting to see the accounting for the Sam Kong job, notably the amount of the fines for the days (months, years) of delay. Will these fines ever be collected? 

 

Just drove through the underpass and there are some big potholes on the northbound exit. Pretty dangerous in the night with rain for motorbikes. Watch out.

 

I think the best we can hope for is that this thing doesn't collapse. I don't even think about completion or smooth roads anymore.

On 2016-08-30 at 3:31 PM, eisfeld said:

Bets are on if ItalThai will finish the second underpass in less time than it takes this company to build the Sam Kong one.

 

Is the 2 million THB per day fine still in effect? They must have raked up a pretty nice bill by now.

 

It's most likely being paid with the chalong circle money.

 

1 hour ago, bearpolar said:

 

It's most likely being paid with the chalong circle money.

 

 

1 hour ago, bearpolar said:

 

It's most likely being paid with the chalong circle money.

 

And how far behind schedule is that project likely to be? Ten months in and they haven't even finished widening the road, let alone start digging a tunnel! And with the same useless contractors as at Samkong and a workforce that a couple of days ago consisted of three ladies in wide hats it doesn't bear thinking about.

46 minutes ago, madmitch said:

 

And how far behind schedule is that project likely to be? Ten months in and they haven't even finished widening the road, let alone start digging a tunnel! And with the same useless contractors as at Samkong and a workforce that a couple of days ago consisted of three ladies in wide hats it doesn't bear thinking about.

 Chalong underpass is only 99.7652% behind schedule so don't worry lol.

On 30 augusti 2016 at 0:34 AM, Old Croc said:

This project has been going for about three years.

Being in the tropics, wet seasons have come and gone. To continually use rainy days as an excuse for being a year or so behind is pathetic.

We had an extended dry season (drought) this year and yet there didn't seem to be much activity during this period. It was probably too hot!

 

In Europe, the same project would have taken about 9 months to complete (regardless of the weather conditions)

21 hours ago, madmitch said:

 

And how far behind schedule is that project likely to be? Ten months in and they haven't even finished widening the road, let alone start digging a tunnel! And with the same useless contractors as at Samkong and a workforce that a couple of days ago consisted of three ladies in wide hats it doesn't bear thinking about.

I saw quite a few workers there the other day but only about 10% of them were actually working. I understand the need to take a break from the heat, have a smoke or whatever, but there should be more working than not at any given time.

It seems to me they need to do something about the abrupt narrowing of Chao Fa West just before the circle. Maybe the klong has them confused &/or need to buy the properties there which, if so, will take forever to negotiate.

Looking at Samkong underpass it is very unlikely it & all the approach roads will be completed this month.

Driving up to the Samkong underpass site this morning I was thinking there was a slim chance the project engineer may actually achieve his stated aim of completion of the project within September. Unfortunately by the time I arrived at mess, sorry I meant site, and started driving up the north bound slip road the rain started. My question is if completion is not achieved this month will the weather be once again blamed for any further delay to the project?