Tinsulanonda Bridges

[Hat-Yai Junc]

New South Bridge is already receiving road surface and balustrade work & fittings. New North Bridge has a few pilings and caps completed on the island side, but about half the pilings and caps working from the eastern shore. The Italian-Thai Decklaying gantry is about one third of the way across. The sections are being produced on the eastern shore, with a temporary dock for loading onto barges to take out to the gantry. There's also still a fairly full decking stockyard on the island, so I guess at some point soon they will take the gantry over and start decking from the island side.

[GWR]

I notice that Hat-Yai Junc's Pics of the Tinsulanonda Bridge-Doubling Project have foundered in the lake. I have thus taken the liberty of posting some of those I saved at the time:-
http://pub8.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=633867102&album=24220
http://pub8.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?cp=2&usernum=633867102&album=24220
Also Ron's recent feature on the decimation of an old fort in Singhanakon District by the Bridge's Deck Fabrication Plant and Barge Dock.http://www.2bangkok.com/questions.shtml#fort I too remember seeing an old fort earthwork & battlement here as I sped past. And it has also been mentioned in histories of the region. But I'm not having much luck at rediscovering links on that which has been lost. My memory is that the fort wasn't very large, The plant itself does not lack space. They could easily have worked around such a structure. It sometimes seems that those who are the most vocally patriotic are also those who will bulldoze anything in the false name of development & short-term profit.

[GWR]

I notice that Hat-Yai Junc's Pics of the Tinsulanonda Bridge-Doubling Project have foundered in the lake. I have thus taken the liberty of posting some of those I saved at the time:-
http://pub8.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=633867102&album=24220
http://pub8.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?cp=2&usernum=633867102&album=24220
.....

The New South Tinsulanonda Bridge is already in use. In line with the local policy of 'Safety Last', drunken and boisterous holiday season traffic is careering across a bridge with only partially completed balustrade work. Doubtless, the exposed vertical re-bar would stop a Peroduo Kancil dropping over the side, but probably not the same Kancil being bulldozed out of the way by one of the bridge's frequent container artics.

The Old South Bridge is closed right now. That seems to be to facilitate the construction of a U-turn under the mainland bridge ramp. One of the old bridge sections has actually been demolished at the shore line to help this. My guess is that this u-turn needs to be piled at the water's edge, so it has been necessary to break the bridge to put the piling equipment in situ.

There is also some sign that a similar u-turn is intended at the island end of the South Bridge.

The museum on Koh Yor Island adjacent to the North Bridge would certainly benefit from a similar u-turn underpass arrangement. Otherwise, south-heading traffic from the museum and its adjacent local roads will have to leave the island heading north before making a u-turn and coming back over the same bridge.

Here you should bear in mind that I was trying to avoid the Songkrahn pickup louts on the existing two-lane 'no-overtaking' bridge behind a surveyor's inspection truck doing a derisory site inspection at 15 KPH. Decking on the North Bridge looks to be about two-third complete. It looks like the piling is complete and most of the pilings are capped. However, there is a section of piling uncapped near the island shore. And it looks as if the piling at this point has not run smoothly.To my uninformed eye , I suspect that the pilings have gone in at such distorted angles in the lake silt, that some bod is having to specifically redesign individual cappings for each piling set.

[GWR]

The New South Tinsulanonda Bridge is already in use. In line with the local policy of 'Safety Last', drunken and boisterous holiday season traffic is careering across a bridge with only partially completed balustrade work. Doubtless, the exposed vertical re-bar would stop a Peroduo Kancil dropping over the side, but probably not the same Kancil being bulldozed out of the way by one of the bridge's frequent container artics.

Thanks to Tom in the 'Gulf of Thailand Bridge' Thread for helping me to find this. Follow the link and zoom it with your mouse:-
http://www.doh.go.th/dohweb/projectimport/images/tinbridgebig.jpg
Article (http://www.doh.go.th/dohweb/projectimport/yos.htm)
Anyone fancy doing a rough & ready translation on this one.
The site seems to be all in Thai. I notice there's a link to a raster highway map on the homepage, but it's not operative. Shame!

[Tom]

Yep, the Department of Highway site is not so well kept, but with some try
and error and basic Thai you can get some good info there.

There also used to be a site for the Intercity Motorway Authority of Thailand (under the Higwhay Dep) www.icmathai.com with some rather funny English on it but some good info on the BKK - Chonburi Motorway etc. But it seems to be gone for good.

[GWR]

I really must go & take another look soon. Passersby report that the decking on the Northern Bridge is now also complete, but renovations are also proceeding on the old bridges. Makes you wonder when & by whom it will be opened. I'd settle for nothing less than its namesake, probable promoter & born local General Prem Tinsulanonda; who still seems to be fit enough to officiate at about 10 hi-so weddings a week!

Bonus Google Sat of Songkhla, Songkhla Lake, Koh Yor & Songkhla Container Port:-

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=7.178904,100.542755&spn=0.118438,0.161121&t=k&hl=en

[GWR]

Totally gobsmacked by the pace of this project!

To all intents & purposes the bridge-doubling of the 2 Tinsulanonda Bridges (& renovation of the existing bridges) is almost complete judging by today's transit thru' the area. The South Bridges are finished & working. The North Bridges have all their balustrades, lights, road markings & signs, but only the Old Bridge is open. This seems to be so they can finish the bridge over the U-turn underpass on the island side. There is also some land clearance along the island's Eastern shore which suggests that the U-turn road will run for a short distance along the shoreline before connecting with the Southbound Lane of the island's mainroad. This looks like it might take quite a long time; difficult terrain! This U-Turn looks a bit too cramped to be used by coaches wishing to leave the folklore museum for the South. I imagine that they will have to head over the North Bridge to Singhanakorn before U-Turning.

Glad if anyone knows when this project will be officially opened and by whom?

I really must go & take another look soon. Passersby report that the decking on the Northern Bridge is now also complete, but renovations are also proceeding on the old bridges. Makes you wonder when & by whom it will be opened. I'd settle for nothing less than its namesake, probable promoter & born local General Prem Tinsulanonda; who still seems to be fit enough to officiate at about 10 hi-so weddings a week!

Bonus Google Sat of Songkhla, Songkhla Lake, Koh Yor & Songkhla Container Port:-

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=7.178904,100.542755&spn=0.118438,0.161121&t=k&hl=en

[GWR]

Totally gobsmacked by the pace of this project!

To all intents & purposes the bridge-doubling of the 2 Tinsulanonda Bridges (& renovation of the existing bridges) is almost complete judging by today's transit thru' the area. The South Bridges are finished & working.
Glad if anyone knows when this project will be officially opened and by whom?

Well, if you look at today's picture of the North Bridge from the Folklore Museum on Koh Yor Island, you will see that the doubled bridges are fully operational.

http://tinypic.com/jkybuv.jpg

Does any one know if it has been officially opened? Or if it will be officially opened soon? I imagine TS has no interest in people who didn't vote for him; and who probably won't vote for him.

I'd like to see General Prem open these bridges; seeing as they carry his name.

You may further note from this picture that the level of the lake is still exceptionally high. Many surrounding lowlands are still shallowly flooded and the Rainy Season still seems not to have ended.

[GWR]

Well, if you look at today's picture of the North Bridge from the Folklore Museum on Koh Yor Island, you will see that the doubled bridges are fully operational.

http://tinypic.com/jkybuv.jpg

Does any one know if it has been officially opened? Or if it will be officially opened soon? I imagine TS has no interest in people who didn't vote for him; and who probably won't vote for him.

I'd like to see General Prem open these bridges; seeing as they carry his name.

You may further note from this picture that the level of the lake is still exceptionally high. Many surrounding lowlands are still shallowly flooded and the Rainy Season still seems not to have ended.

My picture seems to have disappeared for some reason, so here's someone else's just before completion:-

http://images.43things.com/place/00/02/f0/192722xl.jpg