Chiang mai road works

[Bung]

What's up with the major roadworks virtually at a standstill? The underpass near central festival,  I never see more than a half dozen people working.  It's nearly finished, wouldn't they want to open it and relieve the massive traffic bottle neck there? Why is there nothing going on? 

 

Another nightmare is the outer ring road between the river and lamp and road east bound.  For months the road has been torn up and you drive on the dirt. Same thing,  nothing of substance going on.  Yesterday just one grader was pushing some dirt around. When it's wet your car looks like you've been in a rally stage! West bound is done so why not block a lane and let eastbound cars use it? The new intersection at lampang road (this was supposed to be a flyover originally according to a billboard which has since disappeared) is a major dust bowl now as cars shed the mud.  I feel for any home owners that live nearby. 

 

I wonder what's up? Could it be they have no more money? Where did the money go? Both examples are 90% done, what a shame a major city has these situations going on.  I guess when it eventually does open there will be a big fanfare and much back slapping before the bosses head off in their Benz's for a tax payer funded booze up. 

 

Why doesn't the government just get the Chinese in and finish it in a week? 

[MisterTee]

Welcome to Thailand, Bung.

[Bill97]

Exactly, why can't they do the work like they do in Singapore or Norway?

 

Hope you enjoyed your rant. Think rain.

 

[Bung]

Lived here for 20 years and seen plenty of road works in various places finished a lot quicker than here,  just makes you wonder why in a big city they aren't prioritising it and only a handful of people working each day. 

 

Have they run out of money? Where has the money gone I wonder?...... 

[Bill97]

Any facts about missing money?

Actually the current projects are looking much better than more than a few in the past.

[Trujillo]

If you have lived here for 20 years you ought to know better. 

 

There is a sign at the Superhighway/Maejo road intersection showing an artist's rendering of the underpass, the expected completion date (this past March) and costs. It's been up since before ground was broken. 

They opened the surface intersection again about a month ago. 

Part of the "problem" is that this is integrated with the refurbishment/expansion of the bridge over the Ping River. Apparently, not only will the main bridge be widened, the frontage road on the Tesco side will also bridge the river. It's an ambitious project and one that has to have both elements in place to open the underpass and bridge together. 

Given that they are three months over their expected completion rate, and this is indeed Thailand, and that there are not too far away from being finished (in a relative sense), things are better than one might expect. 

As a matter of fact, they will be putting down asphalt in much of the stretches before, during and after the new construction sections, and the whole thing, when done, ought to be impressive and make for nice driving. 

 

There is absolutely ZERO factual evidence or even suspicion that funds are lacking. That's a good example of fabricated "fake news." 

 

[lordblackader]

1 hour ago, Trujillo said:

 

There is absolutely ZERO factual evidence or even suspicion that funds are lacking. That's a good example of fabricated "fake news." 

 

No one is saying it is, you need to learn the difference between news and speculation. 

[elektrified]

1 hour ago, Trujillo said:

If you have lived here for 20 years you ought to know better. 

 

There is a sign at the Superhighway/Maejo road intersection showing an artist's rendering of the underpass, the expected completion date (this past March) and costs. It's been up since before ground was broken. 

They opened the surface intersection again about a month ago. 

Part of the "problem" is that this is integrated with the refurbishment/expansion of the bridge over the Ping River. Apparently, not only will the main bridge be widened, the frontage road on the Tesco side will also bridge the river. It's an ambitious project and one that has to have both elements in place to open the underpass and bridge together. 

Given that they are three months over their expected completion rate, and this is indeed Thailand, and that there are not too far away from being finished (in a relative sense), things are better than one might expect. 

As a matter of fact, they will be putting down asphalt in much of the stretches before, during and after the new construction sections, and the whole thing, when done, ought to be impressive and make for nice driving. 

 

There is absolutely ZERO factual evidence or even suspicion that funds are lacking. That's a good example of fabricated "fake news." 

 

Actually the revised completion date is about 16 months from now. Also there are problems in Thailand with the contractor - Ital Thai Trevi.

[Classic Ray]

They seem to be getting on quite well with the widening of Canal Road outside the city up to the Samoeng junction into two lanes each way, plenty of work going on there, plus some people are working on the road widening from Canal Road direction to Nong Hoi and Saraphi and the Superhighway.

 

But yes, the Superhighway project drags on and on. I see a lot of work being done by (a few) hands which could be done a lot quicker, but of course, more expensively, by the machines that would be used in the West. 

[Deez]

All the money must come through BKK for any work. That is why when Thaskin was PM Chiang Mai got everything done as he is from here. The current Govt. hate Chiang Mai(red shirts)  and won't give them anything.

[yardrunner]

4 hours ago, Bung said:

Lived here for 20 years and seen plenty of road works in various places finished a lot quicker than here,  just makes you wonder why in a big city they aren't prioritising it and only a handful of people working each day. 

 

Have they run out of money? Where has the money gone I wonder?...... 

submarines and armoured personnel carriers

[bazza73]

There are alternate routes one can use to avoid the bottlenecks. Select the right time of day, and all things become possible

[Destiny1990]

Start of a new project usually  loads of workers involved then time passes u see less and less workers active at the construction dite and the progress goes really with a slow pace...

Edited June 20, 2017 by Destiny1990

[NoshowJones]

"What's up with the major roadworks virtually at a standstill?"

 

That is not unusual in Thailand, it happens everywhere all the time, they don't need reasons.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Bung said:

Lived here for 20 years and seen plenty of road works in various places finished a lot quicker than here,  just makes you wonder why in a big city they aren't prioritising it and only a handful of people working each day. 

 

Have they run out of money? Where has the money gone I wonder?...... 

Do you know what these brown envelopes are for?

[jonwilly]

I thought they were doing a good job at the new underpass and river bridge.

Not bad for traffic jams.

 

john

[jobin]

I agree.  Traffic jams not too bad, really.  Esp since i mostly use Chotana Hiway to go north! 

[Bung]

I counted 10 people working there yesterday,  should have been 110.

[Bill97]

I counted 10 people working there yesterday,  should have been 110.

How do you know what "should" be?

Do you have knowledge of the contract?

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, Bung said:

I counted 10 people working there yesterday,  should have been 110.

At their location where they pour the concrete to form the pieces for the project, there must be close to 70-80 people working there. I turned down a wrong soi one time and ended up there. It was impressive. They haul the pieces over at 3:00 A.M. on double-flat bed trailers (1 with cab and 2 additional without cab) in a caravan of three . Coming home at night I've seen this twice. That in itself is quite an operation.

[Ruffian Dick]

Is it possible some of that concrete work depends on dry weather?

[canthai55]

52 minutes ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Is it possible some of that concrete work depends on dry weather?

No ...

http://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/materials/placing-concrete-under-water_o

[Bill97]

No ...
http://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/materials/placing-concrete-under-water_o

So it is possible to put concrete under water but that is not what they are doing. In fact wet weather does effect their ability to do much of the work they need to do. It does slow their work or stop it.

[Trujillo]

A lot of the concrete is prefabricated then brought on site. 

[canthai55]

You missed the point ... If you can pour under water, how can rain stop you ?

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, Trujillo said:

A lot of the concrete is prefabricated then brought on site. 

Right. It is pre-fab at the site in Mae Jo and brought in during the middle of the night. Quite a sight to see if you are up at 3:00 A.M.

[Dante99]

4 hours ago, canthai55 said:

You missed the point ... If you can pour under water, how can rain stop you ?

You missed the point...the processes are not the same.  To use the underwater process would increase costs significantly.

[canthai55]

11 hours ago, Dante99 said:

You missed the point...the processes are not the same.  To use the underwater process would increase costs significantly.

Pedantic

adjective

1.

ostentatious in one's learning.

2.

overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching.

[Ruffian Dick]

Thanks! I never assume that they are using the world's most up-to-date processes. And thank you electrified for staying up late for this.

[LannaGuy]

It will be heaven once it's finished I must say