Highway 24

[Patriot]

Hello!

What is the Highway 24 between Ubon and Chock Chai (Korat) like at the moment??

Are there any major hold-ups right now??  Prasat Intersection??

Many thanks

[SantiSuk]

It's a breeze. Went to Korat and back 10 days ago and had been travelling Sisaket to Bangkok quite regularly before that.

 

The new 2X2 lane sections from Prasat to Prakon Chai and Prakon Chai to Nagrong are now 98% complete. I say 98% because there is an odd section coming from Prasat to Prakon Chai - the first 15km or so - where it is still optional which side of the road you want to travel and both sides are therefore two-way. This extraordinary (un-signed) approach to road completion meant that until recently you could have run into an earthmover or blacktop machine (let-alone oncoming traffic) if you chose the wrong side - only in Thailand! At least all the culverts are now fully complete so that whatever side you choose that section is still faster than before and the rest of these two new sections are full-speed ahead. Just take care to remember that you might face a stray local car coming in your direction on a seemingly one-way section for that 15km near Prasat!

 

Prasat junction is better than before the construction and much better than recent months while under reconstruction. That's because the Meuang Surin traffic now has to use U-turns, having come onto 24, and we Ubon/Sisaket wallahs can drive straight through with no lights. I don't know whether things will continue that way though - looks like they will ultimately re-install lights, but there will be wider lanes to facilitate better light control (if the Thai traffic designers ever get this right - opposing turning lanes go together most other places in the world to reduce interval timing - but Thailand usually decides differently!). That turning was of course crying out for a relatively cheap (compared to a full 4 lane overbridge) one-way two-lane overbridge to take traffic from Surin straight into the west bound lane of 24 with no lights. A chance missed!

 

Prakhon Chai has been fully sorted now so you will have no more of a hold-up than days of yore. It looked like things were going to be better than before because they installed a second set of lights on 24 and it worked well with a one-way system in the town with no need for the original lights. Now they have installed lights on the old intersection again it is marginally worse for 24 traffice with two hold-ups instead of one and we now have another new set of irritating lights that give far too much priority to side road traffic.

 

So much better overall and the other good news is that work has started on building 2 more lanes to extend the Khun Han 2x2 section as far as Sankha - and hopefully as far as Prasat in the not too distant future. Early days so no construction hold-ups yet.

 

Real prospect now that within forseeable future I'll be able to drive on four lane roads from outside my front door at family house to (almost front door of condo in OnNut Bangkok - a journey of 534km!).

[SantiSuk]

Watch out for pot holes on the relatively new Khun Han 2x2 lane section though - those things are car-eaters. Da_mn the corrupt black hearts of the officials who creamed off the money between build spec and delivery. Worse than I've seen elsewhere!

[Patriot]

8 hours ago, SantiSuk said:

Watch out for pot holes on the relatively new Khun Han 2x2 lane section though - those things are car-eaters. Da_mn the corrupt black hearts of the officials who creamed off the money between build spec and delivery. Worse than I've seen elsewhere!

Thanks Santi "Cazorla" Suk!! I'm in US at the moment and just wanted an update for Noi who's driving down there soon. Your report, as usual, is clear and comprehensive.

On another matter ..... why do our lads leave everything until the last seconds?? The last play being Koscielny "chesting" the ball in 

Cheers for now!