Pattaya City is considering the temporary opening of a U-turn in front of Makro store on Sukhumvit Road to provide relief to commuters during the ongoing road surface improvement project at the intersection.
Manot Nongyai, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya City, accompanied by city councilors, contractors and police officers conducted an inspection of the area in front of Makro on Sukhumvit Road, May 22 to explore possibilities for temporarily opening U-turn points.
Manot explained that, as per the city hall’s directives, all intersections with deteriorated traffic surfaces are being improved under the traffic surface improvement project. This project encompasses various intersections on Sukhumvit Road, including North Pattaya Intersection, Motorway Intersection, Wat Boonkanchanaram Intersection, and Chaiyapruek Intersection.
The project, which commenced on April 8, is scheduled to finish on February 4, 2024, a total of 300 days. It began with the improvement work at Wat Boonkanchanaram Intersection, estimated to take approximately 30 days.
During his visit to Wat Boonkanchanaram Intersection, Mr. Manot, together with contractors and police officers, identified an obstacle at the U-turn point in front of the temple. Villagers used this U-turn regularly, but it had been closed off by the city hall due to the ongoing traffic surface improvement project.
Additionally, Manot discovered that the U-turn point in front of Makro, which used to be open, had been closed off due to frequent accidents caused by vehicles making U-turns and recklessly cutting into Makro.
Furthermore, it was noted that parents dropping off and picking up their children from school were compelled to make a U-turn at Thepprasit Road intersection, located approximately 1 kilometer away causing significant inconvenience for motorists.
Considering these factors, Manot and the police department decided to investigate the feasibility of temporarily reopening the U-turn point. However, this would require further discussion to ensure the safety of motorists using this intersection. One proposed solution involved placing barriers to prevent motorists who make U-turns to cut across to enter Makro, while allowing them to use the U-turn point at Chaiyapruek Road to access Makro.
The police will evaluate whether this approach effectively addresses the accident problem. Additionally, police officers will collaborate with the traffic engineering department and the Bureau of Mechanics to design and coordinate the reopening of the U-turn points temporarily. The aim is to alleviate the difficulties faced by those using this route to drop off their children at school or travel to Sattahip via Sukhumvit Road during the construction period.
