Governor Sophon led a site visit to the area on Sunday (Mar 2) to be briefed on the plans for the new road, which is aimed at alleviating traffic congestion.
The governor was joined by key provincial officials, including MP Chalermpong Saengdee, advisor Somkid Chokong, civil engineer Pakorn Waraphasakul, Phuket Highways Office Chief Somkit Kittisopit and local municipal leaders.
The proposed road is to span 3.5 kilometres. Of this, 2.7km will run through Chalong and 800 metres through Patong.
The project is to be funded by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) and is expected to significantly improve traffic flow in the area, benefiting both residents and tourists, said an official report of the site visit.
Officials explained to the Governor the need for a thorough feasibility study due to the area’s steep terrain and geological conditions, which include a mix of granite and sand.
The study and design phase is projected to take six months before construction begins, said the report.
Governor Sophon assured that all relevant agencies will work efficiently to expedite the process, ensuring that the new road supports Phuket’s future urban expansion while improving accessibility for locals and visitors alike, the report noted.
The Chalong-Patong road traverses steep hills from behind the Klong Kata reservoir in Chalong to 50 Pi Rd in Patong. Roadworks began in October 2022, just days after the landslide on Patong Hill that year.
A dirt road along the route opened in late February 2023. At that time, engineers were to complete their designs for the steep sections of road, and officials had yet to evaluate the budget for each section.
However, by September last year Chalermpong Saengdee, MP for Phuket District 2, inspected the road and questioned why the road had not been completed, or been made safe.
The key issues are the issue of road damage and the cost-effectiveness of construction, Mr Chalermpong said in a post online.
The road was built under a budget “of tens of millions of baht” after Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew declared the landslide on Patong Hill a “disaster”, Mr Chalermpong explained.
Though no people were injured or killed in the landslide, declaring the incident a “disaster” allowed access to the provincial disaster relief fund to pay for road improvements to alleviate the impact on essential traffic travelling to and from Patong, Phuket’s main tourism town.
The inspection revealed that the road condition was “seriously damaged” and “hardly usable”, Mr Chalermpong noted.
On the left side large tufts of vetiver grass was growing, on the right side some areas showed signs of slides. The road surface was only about two to three centimetres thick, Mr Chalermpong said.
The official report of the site visit by Governor Sophon made no mention of these issues.
Of note, also in September last year Rewat Areerob, then PPAO President (and now re-elected PPAO President, but yet to be officially re-installed to office), denied spending B50mn on the Chalong-Patong road