The announcement came yesterday (Sept 24), after the town had suffered flooded roads from heavy downpours over the weekend. Ironically, the drainworks project is aimed at alleviating flooding in the tourism town.
The reopening of the road past the drainworks came after Patong Municipality held talks with the contractor, Patong Police explained. Patong Municipality has yet to make its own announcement confirming the reopening of the road to traffic flow in both directions.
The “reopening to traffic” in actuality is the reopening of one lane past the drainworks site, with motorists urged to exercise caution when making their way past the intersection.
The section of road still undergoing works for obvious reasons remains closed, police noted.
The failure of the contractor to complete the project has tested the patience of local residents and shop owners, who have suffered with the road closures effected both north and south of the drainworks site
The project by Patong Municipality’s Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to install a “sand trap” at the site began on June 20. By contract, the project was to be completed on Aug 27.
Patong Municipality has been vague with details about the project in its public announcements. The contractor has yet to be named, and the budget for the project has been given as “about B222 million”.
Patong Municipality has not given any explanation for the delays in completing the project, and has not confirmed any penalties the contractor is to be subjected to under the concession contract.
Patong Municipality’s most recent report on the project was on Sept 15, marking only that Patong Mayor Chalermsak Manseesri had inspected the site in person.
The section of area to undergo the installation of a “sand trap” was identified as the main cause of extensive flooding in the area in November last year.
The incident drew the attention of Pongrat Piromrat, Director-General of the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning for the whole country, who travelled from Bangkok to inspect the construction site firsthand.