At the meeting, held at The Metropole hotel in Phuket Town, Aiyanat Thinapai, Governor of the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) said, “There will be two lanes each way plus a dedicated lane for motorcycles.
“This project has been approved by the Ministry of Transport who ordered EXAT to take responsibility for it last year.
“Engineering, economic, financial and environmental studies on ways to link the Kathu-Patong expressway to Phuket Town and the main road to Phuket International Airport. The studies began on February 15 and we expect them to be finished on May 14 next year – a total of 15 months.
Originally there were seven possible routes but Mr Aiyanat said, “EXAT has chosen the route that starts from Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd, near the APK Resort, entering the tunnel near Baan Mon, and emerging near the Go Kart track in Kathu.
“The length of the tunnel will be about 1.6 km. With the roads at either end the total will be around 3.07 km. The budget is around B5.5 billion.
“I am sure this will be a big improvement for tourists and drivers in general. When there were disasters in the past, people used the [current] road over Patong Hill to escape, which was not enough, ending in poor traffic flow. If we have improved roads, Phuket will move forward.
“Do not worry about the effects because we have done a lot of studies to make sure that it will have the least possible impact on everyone”.
Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, who originally proposed the tunnel concept a decade ago, and commissioned earlier studies, said, “This project will improve traffic to Patong, especially when it comes to managing the increasing number of vehicles. It will help reduce the possibility of accidents.
“However, I know there will be many people who disagree with the idea because they will be affected because land will need to be expropriated for the project.
“But the government will compensate them for their losses and support new accommodation for them, as prescribed by the law. You have to consider the good of the majority. Please understand that we have to create a better future for Phuket”.
Few at the meeting were convinced. Kitisak Kuru – who has organised anti-tunnel petitions to the government in the past – said, “This will affect those who live in the area and especially those who have lived there for ages.
“EXAT may say that the government will compensate us for expropriating our land, but they have not considered the price of land in Patong. It is very high and many local people will not be able to afford to buy another plot [after their land is expropriated].
“Also, tourists want to see nature, beaches and the way of life. They don’t want to see the inside of a tunnel.
Prapas Sriwong, another opponent, thought the project sounded good in theory but said it didn’t fit Patong and many other local communities.
“Also, how are you going to handle the motorcycles riding in the tunnel when they ride without discipline on the regular roads? I don’t see other countries allowing motorcycles to enter a tunnel that’s 1.6 kilometres long.
“Why do you keep trying to solve traffic problems by building more roads instead of limiting the number of vehicles – look at the First Car Policy, for example. What we need is a road like the one [half-completed over the mountain] from Chalong to Patong, not a tunnel or expressway.”
Next, EXAT and other organisations involved plan to arrange a smaller private meeting with opponents of the project and then, later, another public hearing in Patong.