Udon Traffic

[BKK-Udon]

The village you mention is Ban Tat/Tad. The wat there was frequently visited by royalty while Ajahn Maha Bua was still alive. I can’t think of anything in the area that would require a main highway, so that is the only contender!

Ban Tat is directly south of where the 216 ring road turns more NW. The bottom of the ring, if you will, which is why I was wondering about 2nd ring road. Is a 2nd ring even still in the planning?

Edit: I bring this project up as it relates to future Udon Traffic, or reduction of!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Pa_Ban_Tat

[parrot]

The road to the museum honoring the departed monk has been in the plans for some time
https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9630000121274

[BKK-Udon]

Thank you @parrot. Road to the Wat and museum it is!

[tamada]

Oh... I heard it was the new road to vince's gaff.

[stattointhailand]

Shhhh don't tell him, he hasn't finished paying for it yet

[dunroaming]

Actually the Abbott left a huge fortune gained before he became a monk to pay for the road and the royal temple in Bangkok is paying the rest. I actually thought it was so Alexo could get to the golf on time!

[saint]

Useful updates on the ringroad work, keep ‘em coming.

I have been watching with fascination as a major road is being created, apparently to no where! Anyone know about the big project directly across from The newer Global House on hwy 2, south of Ban Chan/Kahm Kling? The major road took out part of the reservoirs and a large cattail eco system, a few very old and large trees, the old restaurant near the Golf Forest, and seems headed for Ban Tat market.

Could it be a road to the Wat at Ban Tat? Or is it the start of the second ring road rumored years ago?

I live about 150 meters from this new road , and to be honest its not only a complete waste of money , but in traditional Thai style a complete f#ck up .,
It is solely to provide a nice entrance from the highway to Ban Tad temple , museum and stuppa , with the intention of diverting traffic away from the village of Kham Kling.
The idea was good , but the execution , not so good .
They have had to change the plan on more than one occasion as they are running short of money , and can no longer afford to purchase some land needed to make it a nice straight road , so have zig zagged it around , using public land and the lake instead .
To watch this construction on a day to day basis ,is nothing short of comical . Or it would be if you dont live in the area and suffer the constant noise and dust generated .
Ive watched then widen and prepare the ground ready for surfacing over weeks , only for some bright spark , whom i guess is some sort of engineer decide they forgot to put in any drainage for the surrounding farm land , and dig it up again to lay said drainage . Then instead of compacting the disturbed ground to match the work already done . they just fill it a bit higher and expect the numerous 10 wheel tippers to flatten it .
Like i said a joke .
When finished it will be akin . or if not worse than the western ring road , and i doubt it will last a year before the surface breaks down and it will be like an off road assault course .

[tamada]

Came across a new bit of official road hazardry at the Phosi/Nittayo junction this morning.

For about 130 m on either side of the Nongbua/Pracha Santi traffic lights on the outbound (north) side, they have installed orange plastic traffic bollards between the middle and right-hand lanes. The same sort they use opposite McDonalds but without the rubber bumper in between them. When I came up on them on the city side, I thought maybe they have enabled the filter lights for right turn into Pracha Santi but once I had changed lanes and rolled through, I saw the same plastic poles between middle and right-hand lane on the outbound side. The traffic light sequencing is unchanged.

Maybe it's to encourage lane discipline for outbound Phosi traffic turning right onto Pracha Santi and traffic turning right FROM Pracha Santi onto Nittayo, ie. stay in the right-hand lane? I can see that working on the former but usually traffic coming out of Pracha Santi and headed west are all over the place lane-wise and I can't see them queuing up to stay in the right-lane, especially the bikes.

They were easy to see in the light, 9 a.m. traffic but could be a bugger for the unaware caught in rush-hour traffic and trying to change lanes quick before the lights change (you know who you are!)

[Galee]

The road to the museum honoring the departed monk has been in the plans for some time
https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9630000121274

Wow, a roundabout. Maybe Thailand joining the 21st century for road safety and environmental issues.

Warning about this new road. Part of it has been opened and traffic is diverted onto it. However that doesn't stop some idiots continuing to use the old part of the road,despite big keep left arrows, and driving on the wrong side of what is now dual carriageway. Came head on to two such idiots last Friday.

[FrazeeDK]

if it is such a grand idea why not make the 4 way intersection at Rte 2 and the Ring Road a huge roundabout too? They've got enough land there although they'd have to cover more of the drainage canal... I think the stop light cycle is well over 3 minutes these days..

[tamada]

if it is such a grand idea why not make the 4 way intersection at Rte 2 and the Ring Road a huge roundabout too? They've got enough land there although they'd have to cover more of the drainage canal... I think the stop light cycle is well over 3 minutes these days..

I like it! Maybe relocate that big jug thingmie to the middle of it? Create some shade for the drivers calling their insurance agents or sitting around waiting for them.

[Galee]

if it is such a grand idea why not make the 4 way intersection at Rte 2 and the Ring Road a huge roundabout too? They've got enough land there although they'd have to cover more of the drainage canal... I think the stop light cycle is well over 3 minutes these days..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqcyRxZJCXc

Less need for insurance agents.

[Khun Paul]

Came across a new bit of official road hazardry at the Phosi/Nittayo junction this morning.

For about 130 m on either side of the Nongbua/Pracha Santi traffic lights on the outbound (north) side, they have installed orange plastic traffic bollards between the middle and right-hand lanes. The same sort they use opposite McDonalds but without the rubber bumper in between them. When I came up on them on the city side, I thought maybe they have enabled the filter lights for right turn into Pracha Santi but once I had changed lanes and rolled through, I saw the same plastic poles between middle and right-hand lane on the outbound side. The traffic light sequencing is unchanged.

Maybe it's to encourage lane discipline for outbound Phosi traffic turning right onto Pracha Santi and traffic turning right FROM Pracha Santi onto Nittayo, ie. stay in the right-hand lane? I can see that working on the former but usually traffic coming out of Pracha Santi and headed west are all over the place lane-wise and I can't see them queuing up to stay in the right-lane, especially the bikes.

They were easy to see in the light, 9 a.m. traffic but could be a bugger for the unaware caught in rush-hour traffic and trying to change lanes quick before the lights change (you know who you are!)

Yes caught a glimpse of these carefully positioned poles, , this will require parking up and walking down to study it it befpore you can work out what is required from the drivers standpoint . IN TRUTH no matter what we think, locals will do whatever, whenever as enforcement of this will not hasppen in a considered way and it will be a pain in the backside to sort out if accidents occur which they will .
Note to self avoid if possible ,planning new routes as I write ``.

[mr passout]

Hi Guys,
Haven't been able to get back to Udonthani since last January for obvious reasons
Has the ring road heading back from the airport to the Khon kaen turn off been fixed up yet.
As it was like a bumpy roller coaster.
Cheers everyone have a good day.

[tamada]

Hi Guys,
Haven't been able to get back to Udonthani since last January for obvious reasons
Has the ring road heading back from the airport to the Khon kaen turn off been fixed up yet.
As it was like a bumpy roller coaster.
Cheers everyone have a good day.

It's less rubbish than it was before in that the west-end has been resurfaced so it's pretty good to the mid-way traffic lights. However, they've been buggering about with a ~1 km stretch east of those lights but all good again before the right turn to KK. If you can, best to avoid it during peak hours to avoid being stuck behind a slow-poke with idiots up your ass.

Also note that the exit from the airport road onto the NBLP road may be impacted by the big makeover that's just started at that T-junction.

[tamada]

This morning's run into town saw two policemen directing traffic augmented by coned-off right-hand lanes either side of the railroad crossing on Phosi. This is junction is busy with traffic right-turning from San Chao Neramit (parallel with the railroad tracks) across Phosi outbound traffic or right-turning across Phosi inbound traffic to the markets and beyond.

Maybe an experiment in 'traffic management' ahead of placing more of those plastic bollards and making lane discipline compulsory?

[mr passout]

Thanks for the update Tamada
fingers crossed for a Xmas return to Udon.

[tamada]

This morning's run into town saw two policemen directing traffic augmented by coned-off right-hand lanes either side of the railroad crossing on Phosi. This is junction is busy with traffic right-turning from San Chao Neramit (parallel with the railroad tracks) across Phosi outbound traffic or right-turning across Phosi inbound traffic to the markets and beyond.

Maybe an experiment in 'traffic management' ahead of placing more of those plastic bollards and making lane discipline compulsory?

Just did the 15:30 run into town and no policeman or cones at the above-mentioned crossroads, just the usual me-first mayhem. I didn't return the same way so no reports on the plastic pole lane dividers further east. But I think it's safe to assume that a few are broken already.

[tamada]

Useful updates on the ringroad work, keep ‘em coming.

I have been watching with fascination as a major road is being created, apparently to no where! Anyone know about the big project directly across from The newer Global House on hwy 2, south of Ban Chan/Kahm Kling? The major road took out part of the reservoirs and a large cattail eco system, a few very old and large trees, the old restaurant near the Golf Forest, and seems headed for Ban Tat market.

Could it be a road to the Wat at Ban Tat? Or is it the start of the second ring road rumored years ago?

I live about 150 meters from this new road , and to be honest its not only a complete waste of money , but in traditional Thai style a complete f#ck up .,
It is solely to provide a nice entrance from the highway to Ban Tad temple , museum and stuppa , with the intention of diverting traffic away from the village of Kham Kling.
The idea was good , but the execution , not so good .
They have had to change the plan on more than one occasion as they are running short of money , and can no longer afford to purchase some land needed to make it a nice straight road , so have zig zagged it around , using public land and the lake instead .
To watch this construction on a day to day basis ,is nothing short of comical . Or it would be if you dont live in the area and suffer the constant noise and dust generated .
Ive watched then widen and prepare the ground ready for surfacing over weeks , only for some bright spark , whom i guess is some sort of engineer decide they forgot to put in any drainage for the surrounding farm land , and dig it up again to lay said drainage . Then instead of compacting the disturbed ground to match the work already done . they just fill it a bit higher and expect the numerous 10 wheel tippers to flatten it .
Like i said a joke .
When finished it will be akin . or if not worse than the western ring road , and i doubt it will last a year before the surface breaks down and it will be like an off road assault course .

You mean the southern ring road, no?

[BKK-Udon]

<snip> ...from the highway to Ban Tad temple , museum and stuppa , with the intention of diverting traffic away from the village of Kham Kling. <snip>

The road joins the 2 directly across from Global House #2.

The plastic road hazards are workng just as intended. (Face palm). The skylab is turning right. Students 3 per scooter were nearly falling over trying to get between lanes.

Btw- this is the main road from Udon to Bangkok (ok, Saraburi) and it is 1 lane at this point with a really long red traffic light! TIT!