Three Years of Chaos, (if we are lucky)

[forcebwithu]

Pics of the progress as of this morning.

 

View south

 

And the view north

 

Nern Pub Whan has a few of these signs scattered about as you head towards Suk.

 

Both the signs and arrows on the pavement show that thru traffic east or west on Nern Pub Whan isn't allowed through the intersection, but everybody is ignoring those instructions.

 

And the section from Suk to the access road is still marked as one way, but again nobody is paying any attention to the signage.

[Gonzo]

LOL.

 

The chaos, of course. It would be useful to have the reports describing the chaos updated as the situation "progresses".

I drove into town this morning at about 9AM. The traffic from Jomtien to Third Road on Thrappaya Road was quite congested, as a lot of drivers appeared to intend to avoid the difficult traffic on Sukhumvit. I then turned right on Third Road and drove the short distance to Soi 16 to get to the the multilevel car park behind Tukcom, to go to my Kasikorn branch, which opens at 8.30 AM now and then went to the Farang friendly Friendship supermarket to stock up on my favorite goodies.

 

I then drove back to Third Road and went all the way to Pattaya Nua, from where I turned right to get onto Sukhumvit to drive to Toyota in Banglamung, without any hassles.

 

On my way back at about 2PM, drove all the way on Sukhumvit, instead of using the railway bypass Road, which is normally my preferred route. The traffic on Sukhumvit was the lightest I have seen for a very long time and it took me about 15 minutes to get back to Soi Watboon despite all the partial road closures.

 

I bet it is a different story now with people returning home from work and all the hordes arriving from Bangkok for the weekend. The moral of the story is, drive along Sukhumvit North as early as you can in the morning and then back South not too late in the afternoon and with a bit of luck there won't be many problems.

[forcebwithu]

Pictorial update from this morning.

 

[MM]

Does anyone believe this boondoggle will improve traffic, and will it improve it enough to justify the years of inconvenience?

 

When first proposed, I thought it was just a tunnel to cross Sukhimvit. What is it supposed to do?

[harro1]

Does anyone believe this boondoggle will improve traffic, and will it improve it enough to justify the years of inconvenience?

 

When first proposed, I thought it was just a tunnel to cross Sukhimvit. What is it supposed to do?

I think it is meant to ease traffic on Sukumvit from North Pattaya to Jomtien. Say you are coming from Bangkok and going to Bang Saray. I don't think it will change too much. The problem I see is I have been on Sukumvit before when there was a big down pour. The water was knee deep. Where will that water run? I'm thinking into the tunnel. How will they get it out?

[Fondles]

it is my understanding this current tunnel is only going under the Klang intersection as there is a second tunnel planned to start in about 2 years that will go under the Tai intersection re-entering back onto sukhumvit after the Threpasit intersection.

[forcebwithu]

I think it is meant to ease traffic on Sukumvit from North Pattaya to Jomtien. Say you are coming from Bangkok and going to Bang Saray. I don't think it will change too much. The problem I see is I have been on Sukumvit before when there was a big down pour. The water was knee deep. Where will that water run? I'm thinking into the tunnel. How will they get it out?

 

Read one news report that said they were planning a 3m high incline on the approach to the underpass entrance to prevent flood waters from entering. Sure hope they get that incline right. Too steep a slope and they'll be launching cars into the underpass. They've screwed that one up before. Remember the first attempt at the new speed bumps on Beach Road about six months back? The design was wider than normal to accommodate a flat part in the middle to serve as a pedestrian crossing. Problem was they made the incline on the approach too steep so that fast approaching motorbikes were getting launched into the air. Think it was only days after the first one was installed that they were doing rework to resolve that oops.

Edited March 11, 2015 by forcebwithu

[nkped]

North-south traffic is moving fairly well in that area, probably because all the people who have to turn right in that area are mucking around on side streets.

[MM]

We drove from Pattaya Tai on Sukhimvit to highway 7 turnoff today and there was no congestion at 3 pm.

[jacko]

 

Read one news report that said they were planning a 3m high incline on the approach to the underpass entrance to prevent flood waters from entering. Sure hope they get that incline right. Too steep a slope and they'll be launching cars into the underpass. They've screwed that one up before. Remember the first attempt at the new speed bumps on Beach Road about six months back? The design was wider than normal to accommodate a flat part in the middle to serve as a pedestrian crossing. Problem was they made the incline on the approach too steep so that fast approaching motorbikes were getting launched into the air. Think it was only days after the first one was installed that they were doing rework to resolve that oops.

Of course that then means that water will flood back at the bottom of entrance and exit ramps onto Sukumvit, possibly taking it over the kerbs and into the buildings.

I shall open a sandbag shop.

Edited March 12, 2015 by jacko

[jacko]

it is my understanding this current tunnel is only going under the Klang intersection as there is a second tunnel planned to start in about 2 years that will go under the Tai intersection re-entering back onto sukhumvit after the Threpasit intersection.

Yes I heard of this plan too...... in the interim between the 2 tunnels I am not sure there will be much benefit. A tunnel that gets you past Tai and Threppasit junctions I do see as a good idea. If the motorway exit flyover was not in the way (in hindsight I wonder if that was a bad idea and no long term planning involved), then an elevated road from North of Nua, to beyond Soi Watboon would have been my thoughts. Non Pattaya traffic is in the way.

[jacko]

I have done a couple of trips into town from the North early evening in the last week and been pleasantly surprised that things weren't too bad! I came South up Sukhumvit and went onto Nua then 3rd Rd. This may well be very time dependent, it always seems very busy in the morning. There is also the factor that the Thai schools are closed now and this reduces traffic substantially. (Some anyhow).

 

I did do a trip to Rung Ruen bus station, and you have to be aware that there is no right turn off Nua to the station now...seriously blocked off. I came via Photisarn, but the delay from there to the Nua/3rd lights via the small 3rd Rd bit is long. Things aren't very quick down Nua back towards Sukhumvit, there is always some twat parked up slowing things down. One thing to note, at the back of Rung Ruen bus station there is a gate which they have now opened, and the buses get in that way....you could too if the guard isn't being difficult. I drove out that way and was glad of the short-cut...... things had been frustrating up to that point!

Edited March 12, 2015 by jacko

[jacko]

I had reason to be on Soi Siam CC yesterday.

Many likely know this already but the concrete barriers on Soi Siam CC have been removed. I guess the planners had a moment of clarity and figured that during a time when they need to close junctions and roads, to enable construction, traffic problems are NOT alleviated by closing other roads and junctions too. So one can now turn off and onto Soi Siam CC if heading Southwards. Northwards is still blocked. To get into Pattaya later I drove north back down the Railway line bypass, took the 3rd left and got back onto Sukhumvit Southbound and then onto Pattaya Nua.

Busy in town yesterday, lots of kids around too....music festival this coming weekend, beware of traffic.

 

Pictures...not much happening, things do not look bad. I still cannot see any digging down although that may be happening further South.

It is claimed the tunnel will not flood as the entrance roads will be raised slightly above Sukhumvit level. Well to get into a tunnel the approach roads must go down and a 1 in 10 ramp will mean 200m of entrance/exit roads to collect rain. Potentially 4x or greater water can head into the tunnel (20 cm of rain produce 80cm depth down there)...it needs to drain fast or be pumped out somewhere. I saw underpasses in Kuwait flood deep enough to float Chevys during a heavy rainstorm...... and hitting that water at speed is a shock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2015 by jacko
Compass corrections

[Gonzo]

This is a great thread, keeping us informed about this huge road construction project and how it affects people living or visiting Pattaya. The construction work on Sukhumvit seems to be better organized than what happened when they built Jomtien Second Road, which was absolute chaos and took at least 5 years and is now an important arterial road, but with a rather poor quality surface. They still haven't finished the footpath (sidewalk) and probably never will.

 

I walked over to the corner of Soi Watboon/Jomtien Second Road the other day, where they tried to fix an underground problem for the last few months. Now when I thought the work was all nearly finished with this important intersection with its traffic lights being fully functional again, they are digging it all up again.

 

Sorry, if this post is not really relevant to the work done on Sukhumvit Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jacko]

 

To get into Pattaya later I drove north back down the Railway line bypass, took the 3rd left and got back onto Sukhumvit Southbound and then onto Pattaya Nua.

 

 

 

You can also turn 1st left, which will put you onto the tail end of the Hwy 7 motor-way, and take a right onto North-bound Sukhumvit at the lights, and onto North Rd. Unfortunately for me this is too far North for the New Home-Pro which is where I wanted to get to!

:

Edited March 21, 2015 by jacko

[forcebwithu]

The diagonal cut through from Klang to Suk is now closed off and traffic is now back to using the original intersection.

 

Looks like they're enlarging the water supply into Pattaya.

 

Slow, but steady progress on the construction looking south.

 

Not much work going on yet north of the walkover bridge.

 

Wonder how far north they're going to lay the new, larger water pipes. Or maybe this is to pump out the underpass when the inevitable flood happens.

[forcebwithu]

Update on construction progress. Major choke point at the Klang intersection because of the new water main work.

 

New water main slowly making its way north.

 

[forcebwithu]

Construction progress looking south

 

Traffic congestion at Pattaya Klang intersection

A lot of manual labor goes into constructing rebar reinforcements

Guessing this is some sort of water filtration system

New stairway for workers midway across the walkover bridge.

[forcebwithu]

A lot more to see now looking north

SCC intersection where I believe they're getting ready to close down Suk to one lane each way as they route the new drainage pipe across Suk.

[MM]

Sukhimvit to one lane...oh, that's going to be a trial.

[biggles]

One of the benefits for me is that I cross Klang every day and the traffic seems to be non-existant most of the time. You can actually walk across the road, instead of running.

[forcebwithu]

Thanks to a poster on another board I now know the machinery in the pic below is for excavating a diaphragm wall. The pipes next to it are tremie pipes used for pouring concrete from the bottom up.

Found a couple of pics that help explain the process.

What I thought was a water filtration system is probably the bentonite slurry feed/recovery system.

Interesting to know what some of the equipment is and how it's used.

[forcebwithu]

Construction progress looking south

[forcebwithu]

And the view to the north...

 

lane diversion north of SCC intersection

 

Looks like they're wrapping up the waste water drain laying on the northbound side. All northbound lanes s/b reopened soon.

[jacko]

I must admit that if I am early enough I will take the diversion on these days and come all the way north to Soi Siam CC on the railway line bypass, pop into the bank opposite Numchai and then join Sukhumvit there. It isn't too bad on the bike. Then I take the first U-Turn to come back south to Klang, or maybe turn at the boxing stadium. The North bound choke point is pretty bad, particularly when it includes the diversion onto the old south bound carriageway (pic above thank you forcebwithu).It is quiet in town of course now, December will be a different matter.

 

Looks like they are really going to do this....... I thought they might postpone it after a few months under the weight of complaints and inconvenience! I see minibuses still pick up and drop off near the gas station, also coinciding with where Klang traffic filters in. Particularly slow on Sunday, an obvious reason, the police were there controlling traffic!!

Edited June 29, 2015 by jacko