Governor tables new airport route to tackle traffic

PHUKET: Officials are looking to build an alternative north-south road, parallel to Thepkrasattri Road, so those headed to Phuket International Airport can bypass the frustrating traffic jams.

“Because of the traffic congestion on the island, especially on Thepkrasattri Road, we need to focus on a plan to ensure that people can get to and from the airport in a reasonable amount of time,” said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada earlier this week.

The roadway is slated to be constructed below high-power electric poles. Though this is the current plan, the design is still being worked on, according to Teeraporn Jirarattnakorn, chief of the Department of Rural Roads Phuket Office.

“We will have the design finished by the end of January. The next meeting to push the plan forward will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2016,” the governor says.

— Sukawin Tanthavanich