Official says Patong road will need seven days of temporary repair work once rain stops

UPDATE

A Phuket official said yesterday that it would take seven days of temporary repair work before the road to Patong Hill is ready to use again. The official said the repair work can start once the rain stops. This news comes after the road suffered two landslides on Wednesday and Thursday. Phuket Highway Director Yutthana Pitak told The Phuket Express…

“The road is being blocked which is extending from the Si Kor Intersection in Kathu to the Suwan Khiri Wong temple in Patong. The road repair work can be started after the rain stops. The temporary road repair will take about seven days.”

Experts now plan to test the soil in the landslide area. This morning, workers used a machine to dig 2 meters deep in four points around the area. The soil samples they collected will be analysed to see how strong the soil is before officials consider letting pedestrians walk over the hill.

Also this morning, Phuket Governor Narong inspected the area to analyse the risk of more landslides.

ORIGINAL STORY

Phuket’s floods are continuing to ravage the island province. Phuket Police are urging residents to stay at home unless they have an emergency. The police also say that Phuket dwellers should avoid going to Patong, The Phuket Express reported.

The road leading to Patong Hill suffered from a landslide last night, and another one this morning. Police had to redirect traffic from the northbound side onto the southbound lanes, creating long traffic delays. Police have now warned people not to attempt to use the road over Patong Hill, whether by foot, motorbike, or car.

An announcement by Phuket Provincial Police read…

“If it is not necessary, please avoid heading to Patong. During this time there are traffic delays because of many motorists on a variety of roads from Patong to Chalong and Surin Beach on both detour routes.”

The main road from Patong to Kamala was also closed this morning after a new landslide sent trees crashing down on power poles and the road last night, The Phuket News reported.

Traffic on Chao Fa West Road past Wat Chalong saw long delays.

People heading to Phuket International Airport have been asked to allow three to four hours for their journey to make sure they arrive on time, due to all the floods and landslides impacting roads.