PHOTOS: Phuket People’s Voice
Phuket’s first ever tolled highway, to be constructed linking Kathu to Patong route, is awaiting approval from the government’s committee on public-private partnership. Cringeworthy would be the first ever tolled freeway in Thailand that also permits bikes.
The infamous, and much-discussed, Patong Tunnel, and accompanying hyperlink roads, has been a slow-burn story over the past two decades, popping up with a new twist every year. Each time there’s one other round of research, negotiations, plans and maps launched to the media… then nothing.
This latest proposal would imply that the new highway, and entry to the Patong Hill tunnel, could be tolled. The route can be a variation from the proposal in the past.
The Director of Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT, says he’ll go to Phuket to observe up with the progress on the Kathu-Patong freeway, a four kilometre lengthy freeway with a price range of 14 billion baht. He will also meet and talk to locals about the course of to expropriate lands for the project to have the ability to make the least impression on them.
The venture is now waiting for the approval from the federal government committee overseeing public/private partnership funding for the project.
After the PPP’s approval, the papers might be filed to cupboard for final budget approval. Meanwhile, the EXAT is issuing a royal decree zoning the land deliberate for expropriation in Patong and Kathu. They’ve already sent officers from the land workplace to discuss with the local authorities to use the public land and attempt to avoid non-public land as a lot as attainable.
The local authorities are being largely constructive because the freeway will provide lots of benefits to Phuket, taking lots of visitors from facet roads and linking two of the busiest areas within the island.
Some areas fall underneath national park zoning and officers are discussing with the forestry department about taking on a small portion of this land to keep away from disturbing local communities along the proposed route. The route would take the traffic in a special path than the present route across Patong Hill and alongside Phra Phuket Kaen Road, instead going via the mountain south of the present Patong Hill Road and thru present forest areas to relink with the By-Pass Road.
Local land agreements will be made quickly earlier than submitting to the Ministry of Transport, then to the cupboard.
Phuket People’s Voice reports that the present schedule is to begin out building the freeway subsequent year, to be prepared in 2021. But proposed start dates have come and gone many occasions prior to now.
The project’s place to begin connects with Phra Metta Road in Patong, passes over Pisit Koranee Road, all the greatest way to the mountain (Patong Hill) for 0.9 km, then there is a tunnel (the tunnel!!!!!) by way of the mountain for 1.85 kilometres adopted by a freeway for 1.23 kilometres, that finishes in Kathu connecting with highway route 4029.
There will be 6 lanes, three lanes on all sides. The left lane might be constructed as social bike lane. This is the initiative from local authorities to permit motorcyclists on the freeway to unravel traffic drawback and cut back accidents on the current route 4029 which connects Phuket city, Kathu and Patong.
This freeway can also be expected to be an evacuation route in case of urgent evacuations.
The development of a tunnel between Patong and Kathu has been a speaking level for twenty years.
SOURCE: เสียงประชาชน คนภูเก็ต Phuket People’s Voice