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FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016
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TURNOFF FOR THE BETTER? Highways Dept to spend B500m on fifth underpass
NEWS
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LIFE
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Bringing the sea to expression
Highways workers mark out the site of the airport turnoff underpass. Photo: Phuket Highways Office
Construction to start in July, with two years to complete Tanyaluk Sakoot rep orter2 @classactmed ia.co.th
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new underpass is to be built at the airport turnoff on Thepkrasattri Rd to the tune of B500 million, with construction slated to start in July. “ The Highways Dept will start accepting bids from construction companies in May,” Phuket Highways ce irector Samak uedwonghad told The Phuket News this week.
“ The Bureau of Bridges Construction Department of Rural Roads in Bangkok will decide who will build the underpass. The proj ect will cost about B500 million, which will include the tunnel, drains, footpaths, tra c lights and others costs,” he said. “ The contract stipulates that construction must not take more than 7 20 days, and according to the contract offered, construction must start in uly,” Mr Samak added. The funds for the new under-
pass became available after Phuket residents voted against having two flyovers built on Thepkrasattri d to ease tra c congestion in their neighbourhoods, Mr Samak explained. “ The budget set aside for the two flyovers together totalled about B400m,” he said. “So instead of those funds heading out of the province after the residents voted against the flyovers, we asked the Bureau of Bridges Construction Department of Rural Roads in
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Bangkok to build an underpass at the airport turnoff for about mn,” he said. is o ce was granted approval, and to expedite the pro ect the same design plans used for the Bang Khu Underpass currently under construction at the northern end of the bypass road are to be used. “ The same design plans as the Bang Ku Underpass will be used, and these have been already approved by the Department of Highways Bureau…
SPORT
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Last year’s finalists take to field at ACG