Patong Hill road closed to cars just 2 days after reopening
Heavy rains have continuously closed down the road between Patong and Kathu in Phuket. The road had opened to pedestrians for a while, and then motorbikes only, before reopening to cars. But now, the road over Patong Hill has been closed to cars again, starting early this morning due to road repairs and soil shifting.
The announcement was made late last night when the Patong Municipality posted a notice on Facebook at 10.50pm. The declaration went into effect almost immediately with Phra Barami Road – Route 4029 – closed to automobile traffic just over an hour later, at 12.01am.
The municipality said in their post that the ground underneath the road, plagued by rain erosion and landslides, had shifted out more. Officials worried the road may be unstable and deemed it unsafe for cars to travel over. The road closure over Patong Hill only forbids private cars from travelling the path, motorbikes and foot traffic will still be allowed over the crossing.
There is also a special lane on the road over Patong Hill designated for pickups, vans, and similar cars. That lane is furthest from the damage, so those types of qualifying vehicles may still be allowed up the mountain pass according to the Phuket News.
But after closing as of midnight this morning, there is no set length of the closure. Officials have not mentioned a date or time they aim to reopen the road again to all through traffic.
The Phra Barami Road connecting Kathu and Patong has been a weak point in Phuket’s infrastructure and it has suffered in the heavy rains in recent months. It was first closed due to damage and landslides nearly a month ago, on October 19. Road workers were able to clean up and stabilise the roadway enough to allow motorbikes to pass in both directions over Patong Hill a week later, beginning October 26.
On November 4, small cars were finally permitted to travel over Patong Hill. And just two days ago the road fully reopened to vans and pickup trucks. But the Patong Municipality Facebook post restricted that again.
“For the safety of car users travelling up the hill from Kathu, the road will be closed for cars from 12.01am November 12 onwards. Only motorcycles will be allowed to pass.”
