PATTAYA – The Provincial Electricity Authority has decided to work around the clock on weekdays moving power and utility lines below ground on Central Road to speed the project’s completion.
PEA contractor Litcholtorn Co. began digging up the center of the vital artery Aug. 15, blocking off 150 meters of roadway at a time to lay 1.1 x 3-meter concrete blocks that will house 11-kilovolt lines encased in 180-milimeter HVPE piping.
The construction started with single shifts of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with completion scheduled for Oct. 31. But quickly recognizing the traffic chaos the project caused, the PEA shifted gears, deciding to run around-the-clock shifts Monday through Thursday and taking the Friday-Sunday off to accommodate the heavy weekend traffic.
Work began on the 75-million-baht project near the PEA office and will continue along 1.1 kilometers of Central Road. Foreman Tanu Surachaisibwit said traffic is lightest at the road’s eastern end, so the road closure didn’t have much impact.
But congestion worsened as the project moved into its second phase between Harbor Mall and Welcome Town. To improve safety, for both workers and motorists, more lights will be installed around the barricaded work zones.
