Chiang Mai - Ubon - Chiang Mai Roads

[dellboy218]

Came back from Ubon yesterday so Just in case anyone is likely to be riding on any of these roads..............

Work continues at Denchai on route 11 junction, the traffic lights are working but not a lot else.
For a few KM south on the 11 the road is good but the road works take over with a bumpy surface in places and carriageway changes. That hill section is still a horrible mess. All road works finish by the junction with route 1105

Minor road works entering Uttradit by the first set of traffic lights with one (I think) carriagway change.

South of Uttradit (I wish I had marked it) on the north bound carriageway there was a minor bridge that has been covered in tarmac. This has been very badly (dangerously) rippled in the middle of the road. Enought to give me palpatations driving a Fortuner, bloody dangerous to any one on a bike. The rest of the road is excellent which makes this all the more dangerous to anyone on a bike. Watch out for the short, just a few metres, section of tarmac.

Approaching Khao Kho from the west there are some rough patches and holes appearing. God forbids it ends up like it was 20 years ago. The main west-east carriageway through Khao Kho itself is blocked off with diversions onto the frontage road. It looked like a big rip in the road surface.

In Nam Nao national park, 14km from the western entrance the east to west carriageway has completely disappeared down the hillside. They were working on this yesterday with traffic control (!!) This leaves a short section of bumpy mud road for a few 10's of metres. In the same area there were a couple of other gangs out clearing up minor landslides. These were very recent.

Road works continue west of Chum Pae and look like there will be for a long time. A number of carriageway changes and rough surfaces in various places. To a minor extent the same on the eastern side.

The road into Khon Kaen form the west has shown a marked deterioration since last I drove this road a few months ago. It isnt the nice smooth road it once was.

Road widening works on the northern side of the Yasathon bypass. The rest of it appears to be deteriorating in places as well.

Road widening works continue on the western approach to Ubon. This dual carriageway looks like it will be meeting up with the dual carriageway through Khueang Nai when they finish that bit.

If anyone is really interested in the 24 from Ubon to Det Udom, a fairly new wide road, pity its showing badly rippled edges and holes already. As for the road through Det Udom, it was bad the day day before they laid it and it hasnt improved any.

 

[KTMphil]

Derek -

Thanks for taking the time to share this, very useful info with all the current flooding.

Is the Ayutthaya area still cut off? I was told even the train service was cancelled.

From Reuters
AYUTTHAYA, Thailand — The worst floods in decades in Thailand and severe flooding in neighboring Cambodia have killed 20 people, authorities said on Wednesday, as rescue workers braced for more rain and possible flooding in Bangkok.

Rescue teams evacuated stranded villagers by boat in some provinces, including the old Thai capital Ayutthaya where flood waters swelled to about five feet in some districts, cutting off roads and inundating homes, shops and farmlands.

"The water usually comes and goes very quickly but this time, there is so much," said Sabai Maingam, 48, wading through chest-high water in her store.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said 12 people had been killed since Oct. 10.

Flooding has hit 17 provinces, swamping tens of thousands of acres of farmland and damaging at least one major northeastern road, said Vibul Sanguanpong, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.



Below is 50km from Ayutthaya

 

[dellboy218]

Phil
No flooding on any of the roads I drove on. Around Roi Et there appeared to be very high water levels, and flooded houses. People were still living alongside the roads in makeshift huts in Ubon but the water levels there appeared to be at least 6 foot now beneath the bridge. Water levels did look as though they had receeded over the past week or so.
Good job I never went near Ayyuthaya. If they still had those boats out on the river trying to pull that bridge down ...........ooppss......sorry, increase the flow of the river, I might have had to stop while I had a good laugh. If that is the level of their flood control I think anyone along that river will be looking at this problem for a very long time.