Latest photos from construction of new Pattaya underpass

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

 

[NanLaew]

The southbound tunnel was open late morning as they directed traffic away from the east-side slip road for resurfacing. Plenty workers still busy in the northbound tunnel and the northbound slip road and entrance to Highway 7 is still being resurfaced but it does look like it will easily be completed on time.

[KhunBENQ]

A similar report in other thread:

So I stand somewhat corrected.

Inofficially opened

[Dexlowe]

Where are the bloody DOLPHINS???????

[NanLaew]

13 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

A similar report in other thread:

So I stand somewhat corrected.

Inofficially opened

 

Yes. Closed again this morning.

[Seizetheday]

Hopefully this will make a big difference. With a bit of luck the plans to build a tunnel under Tai and Nua will be postponed.

 

 

[craigt3365]

Just went by on the southbound side.  Definitely not open.  And the road is an absolute mess.  They should be embarrassed.  The drop off on the right hand side has got to be a death trap for scooters.

[johng]

Scooters are for poor and/or unimportant people , for any action to be taken some Hi-so's Benz will have to fall in the ditch.

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by johng

[JSixpack]

3 hours ago, Seizetheday said:

Hopefully this will make a big difference. With a bit of luck the plans to build a tunnel under Tai and Nua will be postponed.

 

What? No mention your surprise?

 

On 2/28/2016 at 0:32 PM, Seizetheday said:

I'd be surprised if it's finished within 5 years.

 

Yawn. Another failed prediction into the trash bin.

 

On 2/10/2016 at 0:06 PM, Seizetheday said:

Do you know something about Thai workmanship the rest of us don't??

 

Sure looks like. :) I guess the difference is that freedom from bigotry enables me to see Thais & their doings more objectively. Too bad we'll have to wait until the next rainy season to quash finally all the flooding nonsense. But then so many of our posters will lose the will to live.

 

[William Osborne]

not being funny or anything but how do they stop the underpass from flooding ?.....pumps ? ....

[craigt3365]

10 hours ago, William Osborne said:

not being funny or anything but how do they stop the underpass from flooding ?.....pumps ? ....

It's on a hill. If you stand on the East side of Suk and look North, South or West, it's downhill.  Unless they put a dip in the middle with no drains, I can't imagine how it will flood.  Though TiT.  Anything can, and does, happen! LOL

[William Osborne]

there is not that much of a hill ??....anyway, completely stupid idea just to bypass one set of lights...!! ...

[Sunak]

Basically the Suk/Central intersection is one of the most elevated spots in the area.

So they could indeed drain the water "downhill" with some drain pipes.

It could end up at the infamous flooded troughs around Soi Buakhao.

Turning them to fully navigable waterways 

[William Osborne]

Not a civil engineer or anything but why did they not extend the no, 7 onto Suk on a elevated road ?.... so pissed off with traffic in Pattaya atm,,,, and thats not even crossing Suk into town from east patts...Soi Nerplubwan is backed to the gas station most days ...railway roads a nightmare......

Edited December 11, 2016 by William Osborne

[KittenKong]

On 11/12/2016 at 6:06 AM, craigt3365 said:

It's on a hill. If you stand on the East side of Suk and look North, South or West, it's downhill.  Unless they put a dip in the middle with no drains, I can't imagine how it will flood.  Though TiT.  Anything can, and does, happen! LOL

 

Yes, not only is the tunnel at the highest point around but also the plans (and the construction photos) show the centre of the tunnel as being higher than the two exits. This can be seen quite easily from the two points at the start of the tunnel works at the north and south ends.

 

The only way it could possibly flood is if there was a mega-Tsunami that covered the entire area, which of course would put the whole of the beach side of Sukumvit under many metres of water.

 

So if the tunnel does flood I will personally buy everyone on the forum who is still alive a beer (small draft local beer only, must be claimed within one hour of flooding event, terms and conditions apply, your beer may not actually exist).

[KittenKong]

10 hours ago, William Osborne said:

Not a civil engineer or anything but why did they not extend the no, 7 onto Suk on a elevated road ?..

 

I think that cost was the issue. Also an extension of the motorway onto an elevated road would still force through traffic on Sukumvit to stop with the lights unless many on/off ramps were added, and I dont think there is enough space for that.

 

In theory traffic on the motorway going to/from the south of Jomtien/Bang Saray will eventually take the motorway extension being built to come out at the Ambassador, thus removing it from Pattaya altogether which can only be a good thing for all.

 

What bothers me mostly about the new tunnel(s) is that there doesnt seem to be any plan for the Naklua junctions which already have a lot of traffic jams at peak times. So I wonder if the new tunnels wont just get through traffic to those jams more quickly? Or maybe people will use the motorway to get to Laem Chabang and Sri Racha?

[craigt3365]

What bothers me is nothing is being done with regards to the roads into Pattaya! Nua, Klang and Tai are parking lots on the weekends.  This tunnel won't resolve that.  There are some simple things they can do that would really help.  No parking on the streets during certain hours would be huge.  It's something that's done in many big cities around the world.  Many things could be done, but aren't.  I guess no money in these for some?

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

What bothers me is nothing is being done with regards to the roads into Pattaya! Nua, Klang and Tai are parking lots on the weekends.  This tunnel won't resolve that.

 

Nua, should be a significant number parking in Terminal 21 and the redone Big C. 'Course, Terminal 21 might draw even more traffic but we all know it'll be another white elephant on account of well-established TVF economic principles. Should help relieve traffic on Klang too via siphoning. The completion of the tunnel will indeed help traffic on Klang by resolving the bottleneck now created by the construction of the tunnel.

 

Quote

There are some simple things they can do that would really help.  No parking on the streets during certain hours would be huge.  It's something that's done in many big cities around the world.  Many things could be done, but aren't.  I guess no money in these for some?

 

Seems so but nonetheless traffic in many such cities around the world is still abysmal. Mass transit, one of our fondest dreams? Bangkok once had no BTS nor MRT. Now it does, and the cars are packed; and there's no parking on Suk. Did that end the traffic jams? Traffic solutions tend to be temporary in areas growing economically.

 

Over the years our ace TVF urban planners have proposed numerous (obvious) schemes to fix the traffic problem--and all the other problems, too, so that we may enjoy Santa Barbara at Chang prices. Such threads usually do end with outros from the mighty TVF Tea Money Chorus, the only real explanation. And even if something is done at great expense to alleviate traffic as w/ the extra lane on Beach Rd., we have our Traffic Truthers who deny that the traffic is improved and become obsessed w/ hating the improvement. In fact, it's already been denied that the tunnel will do any good and I expect such denials to continue after it's opened.

Edited December 12, 2016 by JSixpack

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

 

 

What bothers me mostly about the new tunnel(s) is that there doesnt seem to be any plan for the Naklua junctions which already have a lot of traffic jams at peak times. So I wonder if the new tunnels wont just get through traffic to those jams more quickly? Or maybe people will use the motorway to get to Laem Chabang and Sri Racha?

 

Using the motorway to get to Laem Chabang or Sri-Racha will incur tolls, I dont think many would choose that route.

[JSixpack]

13 hours ago, Sunak said:

Basically the Suk/Central intersection is one of the most elevated spots in the area.

So they could indeed drain the water "downhill" with some drain pipes.

It could end up at the infamous flooded troughs around Soi Buakhao.

Turning them to fully navigable waterways 

 

Glad you've got it figured out about the downhill vs. uphill business. Actually it's always been draining downhill. +1 point in forum cred, however.

Edited December 12, 2016 by JSixpack

[craigt3365]

35 minutes ago, JSixpack said:

 

Nua, should be a significant number parking in Terminal 21 and the redone Big C. 'Course, Terminal 21 might draw even more traffic but we all know it'll be another white elephant on account of well-established TVF economic principles. Should help relieve traffic on Klang too via siphoning. The completion of the tunnel will indeed help traffic on Klang by resolving the bottleneck now created by the construction of the tunnel.

 

 

Seems so but nonetheless traffic in many such cities around the world is still abysmal. Mass transit, one of our fondest dreams? Bangkok once had no BTS nor MRT. Now it does, and the cars are packed; and there's no parking on Suk. Did that end the traffic jams? Traffic solutions tend to be temporary in areas growing economically.

 

Over the years our ace TVF urban planners have proposed numerous (obvious) schemes to fix the traffic problem--and all the other problems, too, so that we may enjoy Santa Barbara at Chang prices. Such threads usually do end with outros from the mighty TVF Tea Money Chorus, the only real explanation. And even if something is done at great expense to alleviate traffic as w/ the extra lane on Beach Rd., we have our Traffic Truthers who deny that the traffic is improved and become obsessed w/ hating the improvement. In fact, it's already been denied that the tunnel will do any good and I expect such denials to continue after it's opened.

I lived in Vegas for most of my life.  One of the fastest growing cities in the world for many years.  Construction was constant.  New roads, highways, bypasses, etc.  Traffic is still tough, but nothing like it would have been had they not been proactive.  Something that's missing here.  Being proactive.  And Vegas has Zero mass transit, other than buses which not a lot use.  So it can be done.  If proper planning is performed! LOL

[JSixpack]

20 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I lived in Vegas for most of my life.  One of the fastest growing cities in the world for many years.  Construction was constant.  New roads, highways, bypasses, etc.  Traffic is still tough, but nothing like it would have been had they not been proactive.  Something that's missing here.  Being proactive.  And Vegas has Zero mass transit, other than buses which not a lot use.  So it can be done.  If proper planning is performed! LOL

 

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

[Seizetheday]

On Wednesday, December 07, 2016 at 3:30 PM, JSixpack said:

 

What? No mention your surprise?

 

 

Yawn. Another failed prediction into the trash bin.

 

 

Sure looks like. :) I guess the difference is that freedom from bigotry enables me to see Thais & their doings more objectively. Too bad we'll have to wait until the next rainy season to quash finally all the flooding nonsense. But then so many of our posters will lose the will to live.

 

Surely it's a  bit early to start crowing about the tunnel, it hasn't opened yet.

[NanLaew]

On 12/11/2016 at 9:55 PM, William Osborne said:

Not a civil engineer or anything but why did they not extend the no, 7 onto Suk on a elevated road ?.... so pissed off with traffic in Pattaya atm,,,, and thats not even crossing Suk into town from east patts...Soi Nerplubwan is backed to the gas station most days ...railway roads a nightmare......

A whole lot of additional traffic grief is being heaped on the darksiders by the very slow drainage replacement and road widening along Soi Siam Country Club. It is pretty much unusable or inaccessible between the railroad tracks and the Nongprue traffic lights. This forces a whole lot of city-bound traffic to use 3240 and enter on Highway 7 spur onto Sukhumvit (huge bottleneck every weekday morning) or the railroad bypass (to the north) or Nernplubwan (to the south). They are also being buggered about further out with the new Highway 7 extension cutting south across both 3240 and SSCC west of Mabprachan.

[surangw]

will it be flooded during the rainy season when the power fails ?

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, surangw said:

will it be flooded during the rainy season when the power fails ?

Hilltops don't flood, even when the power is off.

[JSixpack]

20 hours ago, Seizetheday said:

Surely it's a  bit early to start crowing about the tunnel, it hasn't opened yet.

 

Crowing? Merely laughing at the typically silly "expert" predictions. And no, it's not too early to be doing that nor, especially, to express the "surprise" and throw another failed prediction into the trash bin.

 

We'll eventually have to have to have a listing of them by "expert" to consolidate the laughs. Guess next rainy season would be the best time. Our "experts" even have a number of naive posters here convinced the tunnel will be having huge pumps running full-time. The dire possibility of drivers driving into the flooded tunnel and underwater has been seriously considered! Such desperation to feel superior to the stupid, incompetent Thais.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by JSixpack

[champers]

Any driver stranded in the flooded tunnel will be rescued by friendly dolphins. Don't understimate the empathy that dolphins have for humans; not forgetting their life-saving instincts and skills

 

 

[DMC1]

Any updates on the opening dates? I drove past earlier and had a quick look, looks far from finished on the surface of the Klang junction...

[johng]

They say it will be open in time for Songkran so just after they start digging up central road to move the electic cables underground.