B300m to be spent on Phuket’s roads

PHUKET: Almost 300 million baht is to be spent improving the island’s roads as part of a campaign by the Phuket Provincial Highway Office (PPHO) to reduce road deaths and injuries. One of the biggest projects will be the enlargement of the eight-kilometer bypass road to four lanes, or possibly even six. This will cost 112 million baht and take about 510 days, giving a completion date around the end of 2005. In addition, the 297-million baht budget will also cover the redesigning or signposting of blackspot danger areas, and the relaying of rough road surfaces. Wanchai Wattanasiri, the new Chief of the PPHO, told the Gazette that it was the policy of the national government to deal with the issue of road safety “appropriately”. Other projects will include work on Thepkrasattri Rd, where more traffic lights and signs will be installed, and the median strip will be beautified. U-turn areas are to be improved to ease traffic congestion. Special attention will be paid to reducing the high frequency of accidents near Sarasin Bridge and a total of 110 street lights will be erected along the road to the airport. “We will erect more signs and look at [ways to improve] black spot areas [on the airport road] including Bang Duk curve, Koh En curve and Kuan Ha Roy curve,” K Wanchai added. Flood relief is another priority and road resurfacing is planned around Surin Beach and Rawai.