Driving back from Khao Takiab today, when I got to the part of the road where you merge with the U-Turn under the flyover, I was suddenly confused. It's no longer a U-Turn. It's just a crazy bend in the Khao Takiab to Hua Hin Road.
I guess they've done away with the safest U-Turn in the area, and replaced it with narrow lanes and a very sharp U-Turn a few hundred yards earlier.
Anybody wanting to use that popular garage under the flyover is going to have to drive into Khao Takiab to do a U-Turn, and then drive back to the old U-Turn. Absolute madness This typifies road safety in Thailand.
I was there yesterday. It used to be that as you went south there was a three way option, fly over to the right, to KT to the left and to the U turnloop in the middle. Now they want you to go on the road to KT and after about 30m they have made a new slip road into the loop. I think you can still u turn there, in am not sure that it is any safer than before.
It's only moved up the road about 30 meters, don't see what the big deal is?
It may even help alleviate the problem of people waiting right until the last minute to change lanes (without indicating, of course), but that's probably being a bit too optimistic!
The U-Turn has moved a few metres further down the road. The old entrance for the U-Turn has been blocked off and the road raised along the separation of the slip lane. This will prevent vehicles coming the wrong way out of Takiab and stop drivers waiting until the last minute before leaving Petchkasem to take the U-Turn and force drivers into the slip lane earlier. Only recently two motorcyclists have been killed by drivers doing just that.
Also, the double U-Turn that has been built is seperated by a raised island which extends both ways into Petchkasem. This will stop drivers using the slip lane to overtake or they will crash into this island.
This really shouldn't be necessary but Thai drivers will never adhere to white lines.
You still didn't answer Big Boy's question. Is the new U turn south of the old one (in Takiab) or north of the old one (around the Soi 102 area? I guess "further down the road" means it is beyond the old U turn and that would put it actually in Takiab.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
We are talking about two separate changes. There is a new u turn, it is 150m from the old one near the intercontinental,iI think they moved it as the road is wider there. That is a plus.
Then they have also made changes to the way that you access the U turn at the flyover, so that you go a little further south to a slip road.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
HHTel wrote:This will prevent vehicles coming the wrong way out of Takiab and stop drivers waiting until the last minute before leaving Petchkasem to take the U-Turn and force drivers into the slip lane earlier.
I'm afraid I don't see the logic:
- Thai drivers will do what Thai drivers do. The refurbished Soi 88 to 94 road and the under refurbishment of the top part of Soi 94 prove that.
- The slip lane to Khao Takiab is (was??) still there when I drove through yesterday, so it's still available for traffic abuses.
But it does mean that m/cycles and cars which choose to shortcut the route to Petchkasem by driving the wrong way in order to do a left turn over the flyover will have to drive the wrong way on the slip road. Impossible for cars but I'm sure that m/cycles will try it and there'll be a few more killed because of their own stupidity.
HHTel wrote:But it does mean that m/cycles and cars which choose to shortcut the route to Petchkasem by driving the wrong way in order to do a left turn over the flyover will have to drive the wrong way on the slip road. Impossible for cars but I'm sure that m/cycles will try it and there'll be a few more killed because of their own stupidity.
It's called "natural selection". Evolution will only allow the better drivers and motorcyclists to survive. It simply takes longer than adequate driving instruction and testing.
"'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
I rode south tonight. At the flyover there are now two choices not three, now its go over flyover or go towards KT.after about 30m there is an option, straight ahead toKT or a slip red to the right which takes you into the Upturn under the flyover. I think that this is an improvement.
IMO traffic at the flyover/ Takiap slip is always moving at a fair speed having been held-up by previous U-turns, BKK hostpital's personal pedestrian crossing, etc..so at the point of having to nearly come to a halt to U-turn back on yourself to go back under the flyover please, please check your mirror first..Somchai in his 'cool-as-f***' SUV may be just touching 110kph right behind you on his way back to his condo! (& he cannot swing left & undertake due to the 15kph motorbike/sidecar coffee vendor pootling along there).
I think the changes are fine, much safer to make the underpass u turn and the road markings help lane flow.. I have noticed that most drivers are using the lanes... a suprize but its happening.
OK, I'll have to try it Southbound, but I really don't see how a U-Turn where you have to cross traffic can be safer than a U-Turn where you don't have to cross traffic (if used properly of course).
Driving back from Khao Takiab today, when I got to the part of the road where you merge with the U-Turn under the flyover, I was suddenly confused. It's no longer a U-Turn. It's just a crazy bend in the Khao Takiab to Hua Hin Road.
This typifies road safety in Thailand. 
