“Now the construction of the drains has reached its final stage. We are using backhoes to do road resurfacing, then we will install three pipes and finish the road surface,” said Mr Piya.
“After that there will be smoothing of the road surface, which will be transferred to another company. It is expected that it will take about a week until the completion of the whole project,” he added.
“From observations made during the construction of the new drainage system, it appears that sand from water run-off from the hills at the back of Patong are not ending up there any more, which is a very good sign,” he said.
The drains feature a sand-trapping system to alleviate sand from water run-offs clogging the drains as has been the case in the past. (See story here).
Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup added, “The project was delayed by more than a month, but it was understandable. Now the project is about to be completed.
“This new system can trap both sand and water in the case of heavy rainfall. Rain will be trapped in a rainwater retainer before it is gradually drained out through the normal drainage system. There will be no flood problem,” said Mayor Chalermluck.
On Nov 8, Mayor Chalermluck explained, “We had to use a truck to suck the sand out of the drains immediately after each time the rain stopped, and every time we did this it caused huge traffic delays along the road.
“I am very sure these new drains will solve the flood and sand run-off problems in the long term, making it much more convenient for people,” Mayor Chalermluck added.
The new drains are two metres deep and extend for 300 metres along the road in two sections, with a third “spot drain” to catch any floodwaters that run across the middle of the intersection of Nanai Rd and Soi Banzaan.