Traffic cones and barriers were placed to shut down two lanes in front of the Homepro shopping mall on Chao Fa West Rd as workers prepared the area to install new drains along the roadside.
Motorists are urged to proceed with caution through the area, said Samak Lueduanghad, Director of the Highways Department Phuket office.
“The construction company, Civil Engineering, will start work excavating as soon as area been blocked off. Workers will be installing the drains from in front of the Chevrolet car dealership to the entrance of public health centre (opposite Homepro),” he told The Phuket News yesterday.
Project Engineer Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, also from the Highways Department, explained, “This is the first phrase of the construction. We need to install the drains first and widen the road to ease traffic congestion when proceed with the tunnel construction sometime next year.”
The new drains will be installed for at least two kilometres on each side of the road, he added.
“Workers will block off sections of 120 metres at a time to install drains. Each section is expected to take 15 to 20 days to complete,” Mr Chalermpol said.
“The whole process of installing the new drains will take at least two to three months to finish, if we don’t encounter any issues such as uncovering water supply pipes or suffering any flooding.”
New streetlamps will be installed along the roadside to make driving through the area safer, Mr Chalermpol added.
In the meantime, with Chao Fa West Rd now shut down to one lane each way, Mr Chalermpol suggested that motorists use Chao Fa East Rd as an alternative route.