Finished but still they wait....August "new deadline" for Pattaya tunnel

 

Picture: STV Pattaya

 

PATTAYA: -- Sophon Cable TV reported that Thailand's biggest road tunnel is now finished - but it will be mid August at the earliest before a single car is allowed to use it.

 

The project manager said because of all the systems they need to hire specialist staff and that takes time.

 

Time that Thais on line have had enough of - they posted comments venting anger at the latest delays and traffic snarl ups.

 

The 800 million baht project began in November 2014 and has seen deadline after deadline come and go.

 

But Sophon reported that it met the May 2017 deadline for completion - a comment that angered some.

 

Head honcho of the 420 meter long project Somchai Phanpao said: "It is 100% finished.

 

"It has special ventilation, lighting and anti-accident measures - because of these systems it needs qualified expert personnel to manage it - the last step before opening is to find those staff.

 

"It looks like the opening will be mid-August".

 

Sophon did not ask the question: Why were those staff not found while the building was going on so they were now ready?

 

The latest delay caused a welter of comments on Sophon's Facebook page.

 

Pornsak M. said: "I'm tired of waiting. Just open it!"

 

Jirayut K. questioned the assertion that it had been finisished on time: "What the hell does it mean finished according to the schedule? I'm confused".

 

While Somkhuan P. was exasperated: "Just open it next year," he said.

 

Source: Sophon Cable TV

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-27

All this for a short little tunnel that basically just bypasses one intersection and probably won't do a thing to reduce the amount of traffic at that intersection any ways.

Somebody got rich off this crazy; time-consuming; expensive solution that a full-time traffic cop could have solved,

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Sophon did not ask the question: Why were those staff not found while the building was going on so they were now ready?

Shining example of what passes for media in Thailand.

 

I give up.

 

They all bloody deserve each other and everything coming to them.

I cannot believe the amount of money wasted, businesses ruined to just bypass one intersection. Someone I am sure is laughing all the way to the bank. If they would have run the tunnel all the way to Jomtien it would have made sense.  

They've probably forgotton the drainage

Frustrating is not the word!

TIT ?

."...because of these systems it needs qualified expert personnel to manage it'''"

 

Wont be open for years

Sophon did not ask the question: Why were those staff not found while the building was going on so they were now ready?

 

Because they plan F/A

As I have posted comments before on this subject the problem with the tunnel is simple..........they do not know whether it is flood proof or not and are waiting for heavy rains to fall before they can sign it off

What a disaster.

2 hours ago, Dave67 said:

."...because of these systems it needs qualified expert personnel to manage it'''"

 

Wont be open for years

That soon? by the way is August the final opening time , because in the past we have been told when the final time is and the final ,final ,and the final final ,final final fiiiiiiiiiiiii 

."...because of these systems it needs qualified expert personnel to manage it'''"

 

Why not hire the guys that installed it?  They would be as expert as anyone they could find, if not more so.  Or was everything installed by Somchai and his friends and relatives from the Issan farmlands?  

4 hours ago, pieeyed said:

I cannot believe the amount of money wasted, businesses ruined to just bypass one intersection. Someone I am sure is laughing all the way to the bank. If they would have run the tunnel all the way to Jomtien it would have made sense.  

………should have run it all the way to Laos more like!!

6 hours ago, Kerryd said:

All this for a short little tunnel that basically just bypasses one intersection and probably won't do a thing to reduce the amount of traffic at that intersection any ways.

 

Thailand is the land of white elephants, after all!

After peering over my dice, I predict August 12th as an auspicious day for the opening.

something about this news seems off. someone not being qualified to do a job has never been a problem before.

Which August, 2017, 2018 or ??

Just now, dcsw53 said:

Which August, 2017, 2018 or ??

You may have a point there........

In my opinion the whole purpose of any construction in this area should have been to enable the possibility to cross from West to East Pattaya without actually having to go on what must be one of the country,s most dangerous roads. Now THAT would have been of immense advantage to many drivers !

Delay is due to the dolfins still learning swimming..... will take a while?

"The project manager said because of all the systems they need to hire specialist staff and that takes time."

 

Time to find qualified staff.  1 week

Time to evaluate who has the most influential relative.  1 month

 

It`s a bloody covered ditch.  

 

 

Have the Guinness Book of Records people been contacted?

Looks like an awfully short tunnel to be the longest in Thailand.  Not impressed with the new surface intersection but at least that is finally open.  Pity they didn't do overpasses over all the intersections rather than 1 tunnel--they could have all been built by now and open.. 

1 minute ago, newnative said:

Looks like an awfully short tunnel to be the longest in Thailand.

 

I posted this in another thread.

 

I measured the tunnel with my cars odometer, which is perfectly possible as you can drive the whole length beside the tunnel.

 

My odometer told me that the coverd part of the tunnel is less than 700 meter and the uncovered entrance/exit parts at both ends are about 250 meter each.

 

I doubt that my odometer is inaccurate by 50%

Each year when the tunnel floods they'll be hosting the Pattaya Dragonboat Races here.

The new Tunnel Ambulance Rescue Team (TART) are now in training:

 

 

16 hours ago, Dave67 said:

They've probably forgotton the drainage

Didn't forget it, but I am pretty sure it won't work correctly, or handle enough water, or work reliably, or be maintained.  As an engineer, for the life of me I just don't get this project at all.  As a labor boondoggle, and  money pushing scheme I get it

Oh, they are just waiting for the rainy season to end,  then can open as the risk of

tunnel flooding will be less.

Looks like an awfully short tunnel to be the longest in Thailand.  Not impressed with the new surface intersection but at least that is finally open.  Pity they didn't do overpasses over all the intersections rather than 1 tunnel--they could have all been built by now and open.. 

 

The intersection is fully open? Is the top of Klang open now? Meaning you can turn in coming South?

18 minutes ago, DMC1 said:

 

The intersection is fully open? Is the top of Klang open now? Meaning you can turn in coming South?

It was open and the signal light was working the other day.