The Phuket Highways Office has announced that the Bang Khu, Samkong, Darasamut and Chalong underpasses will be closed nightly from 8:30pm to 6am through to at least Wednesday next week (July 15) to allow contractors to continue installing remote traffic control and monitoring systems.
Motorists are advised to avoid the affected underpasses during the closure period and use alternative routes where possible.
According to the Phuket Highways Office, the temporary closures are required to complete work on a remote control, surveillance and command centre designed to improve traffic management and support Phuket’s Smart City programme.
The office apologised for the inconvenience caused and said the works are necessary to improve the efficiency and safety of the island’s highway network.
The latest announcement follows an earlier extension that kept the same four underpasses closed overnight through the end of June.
The ongoing project includes the installation of smart lighting, upgraded electrical systems, CCTV cameras, speed cameras, automatic licence plate recognition technology and remote traffic management equipment at Phuket’s major highway underpasses.
The works have been delayed for months beyond their original completion deadline.
Earlier this month, Phuket Highways Office Chief Winai Kuemueang confirmed that the contractor, Better World Traffic Co Ltd, is seeking a waiver or reduction of more than B7 million in late-completion penalties after missing the project’s April 24 contractual deadline.
Mr Winai stressed that no decision has been made on the request and that penalties continue to accrue at more than B100,000 per day while the project remains incomplete.
The B48.412mn project, funded through the Southern Andaman Provinces Group’s 2025 budget, was originally scheduled for completion after a 210-day construction period.
The project has faced repeated delays since construction began, prompting provincial officials to order an investigation earlier this year after concerns that little work had been carried out for several months following the signing of the contract.
The overnight closures are being supervised by Phuket Highways Office Senior Civil Engineer Sanakorn Thabthimthongsuk.
The public can report potholes, damaged road surfaces, faulty street lighting, malfunctioning traffic signals and damaged traffic signs to the Phuket Highways Office on 076-212179 during office hours or via the Department of Highways’ 24-hour hotline 1586.