snoop1130 Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 No surprise there ... all just a construction joke ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunBENQ Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 September is known to be dry, isn't it?. So be optimistic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psimbo Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Croc Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huuwi Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huuwi Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 big earth moving yesterday on the northbound road, underground cable work, so i guess if we lucky sometime october this year they are ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokningar Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 What rain this year again, who could have guessed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 What a surprise, raining again during rainy season... Freaking bunch of fools altogether - unbelievable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 .......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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sendintheclowns Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retiredandhappyhere Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sahibji Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 15 hours ago, LivinginKata said: No surprise there ... all just a construction joke ... really cannot blame them if the weather is bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sahibji Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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 .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredNL Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 One word that can NOT be found in a Thai dictionary: "planning"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eisfeld Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDave Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d123 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 To the PMT "better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeniau96 Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eisfeld Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 (edited) 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. Edited September 3, 2016 by eisfeld Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearpolar Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schlog Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useronthenet Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentine Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 (edited) 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. Edited September 5, 2016 by Valentine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d123 Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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