Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya area residents say a 35.7 billion baht proposed
expansion of Highway 7 would be an eyesore for tourists and want both
the roadway and its off-ramps moved away from downtown.
Vichai Pornsiripong, manager
of the Buraphawithi-Pattaya highway feasibility study.
At the latest in a series of public hearings on the
Buraphawithi extension Nov. 20 at the Banglamung District Office,
residents said they feared that current plans would dump even more
traffic on to Sukhumvit Road by placing an offramp near the Big C
supermarket on Sukhumvit Road. Instead, residents said, off-ramps should
be placed near Thepprasit Road and Jomtien Second Road.
They also suggested the entire roadway be moved adjacent to East
Pattaya’s railroad tracks. Building a concrete, elevated highway over
Sukhumvit Road would require the uprooting of beautiful flower-covered
medians and destroy the image of Pattaya for tourists entering the city,
they said.
Plans call for construction of a six-lane expressway from Buraphawithi
following the route of current Highway 34 with bypasses constructed in
Chonburi, Sriracha and Laem Chabang. The work on what is now considered
the Nongkham-Laem Chabang Highway will allow drivers coming from
Nongkham to turn right into Sriracha and Pattaya-bound drivers from Laem
Chabang to use a new U-turn bridge under the Nongkham-Laem Chabang
Highway.
Plans also call for a doubling of the existing four lanes, with toll
booths added at Bangphra, Nongkham and Pong. Construction will be
divided in five phases. Study on the project continues through
September, with construction hoped to begin in 2016.
Vichai Pornsiripong, manager for the feasibility study, immediately
frowned upon the railroad tracks idea, saying it likely would conflict
with other large infrastructure projects. However, he said, relocation
of the off-ramps would be considered by the consultants with their
conclusions to be presented at a future public hearing.
