Udon Traffic

[Niggly]

You won't meet mine. Fan belt shredded inbound on Watthananuwong on yesterday's school run. Limped home at 20 kph which, at around 4 p.m., was the same speed as everyone else anyway.

Not a fall out from the DIY servicing you were threatening a month or so back I hope

[Niggly]

Not seen many delivery trucks but these damn things are all over. Who’d have thunked it eh. Better issue some caution to anyone driving with their eyes closed

[Niggly]

Not Udon I know but where HWY2 bares left at some traffic lights towards the bridge to Laos & you’d carry on the 233 if going into Nong Khai (I have to be honest, I didn’t know the road number changed here), there’s some massive road works going on. No temporary traffic lights or contra flows but 4 into 1 lanes, plenty of mud around & we passed through 4 times & each time a Somchai stepped out in front waving a red flag so an excavator could slowly cross the road.

I have no idea what is being built but more piles in the ground than I could count on both sides of the road & lots of heavy machinery about.
Maybe an extension to Khon Kaen University Campus?

[tamada]

You won't meet mine. Fan belt shredded inbound on Watthananuwong on yesterday's school run. Limped home at 20 kph which, at around 4 p.m., was the same speed as everyone else anyway.

Not a fall out from the DIY servicing you were threatening a month or so back I hope

If I'd actually done the DIY servicing maybe but no, just another age-related, out-of-warranty failure of a 20 quid part that needs 100 quids worth of remediation. After that's sorted, I'll do the servicing.

[Niggly]

If I'd actually done the DIY servicing maybe but no, just another age-related, out-of-warranty failure of a 20 quid part that needs 100 quids worth of remediation. After that's sorted, I'll do the servicing.

I’ve got a (reasonably) classic car sat in the garage in the UK. Its got a timing belt as opposed to chain that is supposed to last 50000 miles & it only does about 20 miles a year to the MOT station so I happily left it alone. I later discovered it’s 50000 miles or 3 years whichever the sooner

[parrot]

Not Udon I know but where HWY2 bares left at some traffic lights towards the bridge to Laos & you’d carry on the 233 if going into Nong Khai (I have to be honest, I didn’t know the road number changed here), there’s some massive road works going on. No temporary traffic lights or contra flows but 4 into 1 lanes, plenty of mud around & we passed through 4 times & each time a Somchai stepped out in front waving a red flag so an excavator could slowly cross the road.

I have no idea what is being built but more piles in the ground than I could count on both sides of the road & lots of heavy machinery about.
Maybe an extension to Khon Kaen University Campus?

I'll guess it's part of the 1.5 billion baht Nongkai Crossroads Initiative
https://www.thunhoon.com/article/228216

[Niggly]

Clear run all the way through the centre. A bit of mild congestion at the food stalls opposite Landmark & people parking on the roundabout to jog around Prince Prajak but that’s expected at this time of day.

Didn’t see any samlors, sorry to disappoint GrayPal

[pal52]

Clear run all the way through the centre. A bit of mild congestion at the food stalls opposite Landmark & people parking on the roundabout to jog around Prince Prajak but that’s expected at this time of day.

Didn’t see any samlors, sorry to disappoint GrayPal

[Niggly]

^ Anyone else speak teenage angst? No?

[Niggly]

I'll guess it's part of the 1.5 billion baht Nongkai Crossroads Initiative
https://www.thunhoon.com/article/228216

Yes, probably this. ^^
I still find it a bit odd though. The road & junction being upgraded seemed plenty adequate for the traffic I’ve seen on it over the last few years.
I wonder if they’re expecting (hoping) for an increase in volume

[Niggly]

They’ve been on the HWY2 ring road crossroads everyday so far

Police road checkpoints to return nationwide
Bangkok Post
30/03/2021

Police checkpoints will be back on roads nationwide from April 1, with an emphasis on transparency and public scrutiny, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, deputy national police chief, said.
In October last year, the national police chief ordered the suspension of checkpoints for drink-driving and other offences until transparency of the tests could be ensured.
Pol Gen Damrongsak said the police chief recently issued new directives, which must be followed, and checkpoints will resume from April 1.
Pol Gen Damrongsak said surveillance cameras must be operating at all checkpoints and officers must wear body cameras, to ensure transparency. 
This applied to all checkpoints - whether traffic police, alcohol testing, air pollution or crime prevention. 
Each checkpoint must have a sign showing the police hotline 1599 and phone number of the commanding officer in the area, in case anyone wants to file a complaint.
Pol Gen Damrongsak said a police panel had looked into the pros and cons of checkpoints since their use was suspended last year.
It concluded that the absence of checkpoints would lead to a rise in the number of offences -  such as drink driving, driving in non-driving lanes and failure to wear crash helmets, drug smuggling and illegal immigration. 

[Khun Paul]

With all the rain currently over Udon, driving on the newly updated and ever enlarging Ring Road and its roadworks with all the Potholes, level differences and roadwork rubbish will be a test of patience and possibly mechanical heartaches as some vehicles will succumb to the terrible surfaces.
Take care out there is the watchword today

Plus with rain on Roads subject to heavy traffic , will leave the surface of the road more slippery from the rubber build up left my tyres, so allow more space and more time to slow down and /or brake . Something a,man just passing my house forgot as he spun off into the neighbouring ditch after passing the house at a silly speed.

[Niggly]

Off into town.
Used to pay good money to go on the skid pan at the local circuit & the car is rear wheel drive with next to no weight over the back axles. This is going to be fun

[Niggly]

Clockwise two lanes of ring road are completely submerged along the front of Siam Grand. Central Valley is overflowing too so I guess the recent drainage works were unsuccessful

[Niggly]

A pick up has managed to get stranded across the low central reservation about 20m back from the traffic lights on HWY2. Both north & southbound central lanes are blocked causing tailbacks to & from the lights.

I really can’t see how it happened. There’s no dents or scratched from a collision. It’s just seesawing on the concrete

[tamada]

^ Gotta be brake failure, no?

[Niggly]

^ yes, I’d imagine so.

Well that’s at least what I’m going to believe until UM CSI have fully imagined the scene & reported back here with the theories.
There could be a samlor I didn’t see, eh GreyPal



Waiting.........

[Khun Paul]

^ Gotta be brake failure, no?

No probably TOO MUCH brake , as many do here, slightest problem BRAKE, forgot to learn accelerator control . That would of course require the ability to read the road and traffic , a skill never taught here !

[stereolab]

Drivers here are mostly driving in automatic, I drive almost all the time in manual, rather than brake, a simple down gear shift will takes enough speed away, and repeat as necessary, only braking when necessary.

[Niggly]

^ Gotta be brake failure, no?

No probably TOO MUCH brake , as many do here, slightest problem BRAKE, forgot to learn accelerator control . That would of course require the ability to read the road and traffic , a skill never taught here !

& that’s the first imagination from UM CSI (not really surprised at the contributor but hey, there’s nothing else to work with at the moment)

Anymore for anymore?

Last orders is coming before we move on