New bridge will connect 2 sub-districts in Phuket

A new bridge will connect two sub-districts in Phuket‘s main city district. The bridge will connect the Wichit and Chalong sub-districts.

On a visit to Phuket last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stopped by Mudong Canal, where the bridge is set to be built. Phiphat said the bridge will be 8 metres wide, and 280 metres long.

Phiphat said the bridge will be a new landmark, in addition to improving transportation. He noted that a new street market could be built nearby in the future.

Phiphat added that the new bridge will be very useful for both locals and tourists in tackling traffic problems.

The Phuket Express reported that final approval and a timeline around the bridge’s construction were not yet announced or clear as of press time and that Phiphat did not detail the costs of the bridge project.

During his visit to Phuket, Phiphat got an earful about Phuket’s tourism issues, one of which was heavy traffic.

A significant obstacle for the province of Phuket is the lack of infrastructure to support the influx of tourists, which has led to transportation and traffic issues, logistics challenges, and road congestion. The notes for the meeting released by the Phuket Info Center highlighted the traffic issue, as well as water and labour deficiencies.

“Phuket faces fundamental problems in terms of infrastructure such as road congestion due to the increasing number of cars, roads that need to be made and expanded, water used leading to inadequate reserves, labour shortage, and safety in life and property [of tourists].”

The issue of making new roads and expanding existing ones was discussed. Pipat said a study group would look into having road projects taken over by larger government departments with more extensive budgets. He also promised to look into the issue of sufficient tap water. Phiphat said…

“Tourism has begun to return to Phuket, and we must join together as good hosts so that we can create a positive image for Phuket and Thailand to be a sustainable tourism destination.”