Panya Laochu, Deputy Governor of Construction and Project Management at the national Provincial Electricity Authority office in Bangkok, announced the plan at a meeting at the Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa, in Patong, on Wednesday (Dec 16).
“A 33KV power-supply cable will be installed along three kilometres of the beach road, from the Klong Pak Bang bridge (at the southern end of Thaweewong Rd) to the intersection with Ruamjai Rd,” Mr Panya said.
“The contract has been signed and comes into effect in April 2016, allowing 18 months for the contractor to complete the project. We believe construction will begin in July 2016,” he added.
After the first phase of burying the power cables along the beach road is complete, the PEA will set its sights on the rest of Thaweewong Rd.
“The beach road is just Phase 1 of the plan,” Mr Panya explained. Phase 2 will be from Ruamjai Rd to Soi Bangla; Phase 3 from Soi Bangla to Sawatdirak Rd; and Phase 4 from Sawatdirak Rd to the Dolphin Circle at the northern end of Patong Beach.
“I am glad to be a part of such a project in a tourism location such as Patong,” Mr Panya said. “And we are happy to be working with Patong Municipality in this public works project, too.”
Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup explained that Patong Municipality will contribute B77 million to the project.
“I am so glad that Patong will be look better after all the construction is finished,” she said. “I hope that the power cables along Soi Bangla will also be installed underground in the near future. I have a vision that one day Patong will not have any power poles at all,” she beamed.
Mayor Chalermluck also assured that disruptions to traffic would be minimal.
“We will ask the Patong Police to help regulate traffic in or to avoid any major traffic jams,” she said.
Vatcharin Prapa, head of the PEA office in Patong, assured residents and the 500 local business owners along the beach road that power disruptions will be minimal while the project is carried out.
“If we do need to cut off any power supply, we will notify local people first,” he added.
“Also, Patong will receive extra power supply from the substation in Karon, which should stabilise power supply – and reduce blackouts – by March 2016,” he said.