Chiang Rai - R1152 The Other New 4-lane Highway To Chiang Khong.

[DavidFL]

Whilst the new Chiang Rai - Chiang Saen4-lane bypass is going ahead full speed,

Chiang Saen - the new bypass to Chiang Rai

there's yet another newbie going on from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong via Phayamengrai & Khun Tan.

What the exact route number is going to be I don't know, 1152? but basically the road is going from near Santiburi golf course & straight out over the Nong Luang lake near Wiang Chai, to link up with part of R1152 again & then cut through the rice fields out the back of Phayamengrai & then across to Khun Tan & link up with the 4-lane R1020 that comes down from Chiang Khong.

A first bash at trying to link it up going from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong.

Turn off onto R1152 at Hua Doi & proceed past the Santiburi golf course.
The start of R1152 is already under construction & widening into 4-lane, so it gets a bit busy straight off.

500 metres after Santiburi is where the new road first cuts in. You can turn left & a new section heads back towards town somewhere, or you turn right & head N-E towards Phayamengrai.

Right towards Phayamengrai...away you go on the dusty road

The first section runs straight for 4.5 kms to end up on R4016 & into the Nong Luang lake!

More to come.

 

[DavidFL]

Turn left once you hit R4016 & the end of the road by the lake & work your way around to the main road R1152, turn right & go 1 kms & turn right to head for the lake & the big Buddha on the other side.

There is a new scenic viewpoint & funky restaurant to enjoy.

Google Maps

The Sri Chai Prakan Phra Buddha Nong Luang

Nice views, but it is hot out there in the afternoon sun with no trees. Late afternoon & dusk , sunset time would be absolutely magic.

You could ride further around the lake if you wish, but the mission was to follow the new dirt road, so back out onto R1152 & ride another 800 metres down road& turn right again.
1kms in you can pick up on another stage on the new highway. It runs closer to the lake & also dead ends.

From here you can see the road on the other side.
It will be interesting to see whether they build a causeway or a bridge over the lake in the future.

Turn around & head back East towards Phayamengrai.

The road goes for another 5.5 kms

before it intersects R1152 once more.

To be continued..

 

[Ian Bungy]

Incredible amount of Highways and Roads being built up that way!

 

[blackb15]

Looks interesting and a ride to do when I get back to CM.
Safe riding

 

[DavidFL]

An update 3 June 2019
They're making good progress on the new 1152, much better than the idiots doing R118 Mae Kachan - Doi Saket.

4-lane on the top of the old R1152

After Phaymengrai, the big new cut going east to link up with R1020.

The old R1152 is taking a beating from the trucks, plus the traffic builds up in places around the construction, so it is probably best to avoid using R1152 out to Chiang Khong at the moment.
The quickest way to get to Chiang Khong at the moment is straight down R1, then go out to Chiang Saen.
Go via the new bypass from the airport Chiang Saen - the new bypass to Chiang Rai
Or go via Mae Chan - Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong.
If you're any good you can do Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong in 40 minutes nowadays on Paradise road.

Or Take R1021 from Chiang Rai to Thoeng, then R1020 to Chiang Khong.

 

[DavidFL]

The link up with R1020, slightly north of the Phaya Phipak turn off.

Google Maps

Considerable progress has been made running the 4-lane from R1020 down to the Ing River & the bridge being built.

It stats like this at R1020

Then drops down the hill towards R1174 & the Ing River

The view on the flat looking wet towards the Ing

The "end of the road" waiting for the bridge across the Ing River

 

[DavidFL]

A teaser...how it looks on the new 2020 GTR Golden Triangle map out later this week.

 

[DavidFL]

9th May 2020 update - lots of progress & more dual carriageway asphalt.

Heading from Chiang Rai to Khun Tan / Chiang Khong, they've made lots of progress

The first three images are on a spur to the side, that would appear to be a new planned route going to Wiang Chai.
The image above is taken here N19 51.793 E100 01.838 & will eventually link up here N19 51.335 E100 00.422 with the new bit coming across the lake at Wiang Chai.

More completed 4-lane

The masterplan for today's ride was to check on the bridge being built across the Ing river & the final link up with R1020 to Khun Tan.

It is just about all done & ready for asphalt

Although there is one last cut to be made

Get through & it is down the bridge across the INg.
You certainly cant ride the bridge yet, but there is so little water in the Ing, that's the river that drains the Phayao lake, that thee is a little causeway you can ride across

and then it is back on the hard top to run up to R1020

You can check out the route of this new 4-lane on the 2020 GTR Golden Triangle guide map.
Golden Triangle Map

 

[Heineken]

I have ridden on a few completed sections of this road myself, although it was 6 x months ago....................did you see a completion date David ?


I might be due to do a bit more exploring out this way soon.

 

[DavidFL]

I have ridden on a few completed sections of this road myself, although it was 6 x months ago....................did you see a completion date David ?


I might be due to do a bit more exploring out this way soon.

No idea on a completion date.

 

[Heineken]

So I went for a ride out on the new section of this highway yesterday, I started at the intersection off the Hwy 1020, according to the overhead sign this will be Hwy 1421 ?

The section all the way to the Ing river is completed, just missing the marker lines on the road, no trouble accessing this road, not sure if it is open or not but there was a bit of local traffic aswell as some construction vehicles. No one said a word to me, just a wave or a head nod so I rode on.

The bridge over the Ing river is about half completed, there was alot of workers onsite so its coming along nicely. There is a bypass dirt rd you can go on around the bridge construction, at least while there is bugger all water in the river..................Maybe David can tell us what the small buildings/Sala's are going to be for on the Southern side of the river, there is 2 on each side of the road, there was a semi trailer load of tiles getting unloaded when I was there, by hand lol.

I continued riding along the completed highway until I cam across a set of traffic lights, not operational atm but all there, the crossroads head off to nearby villages. They had a couple of concrete blocks across the road at the lights to stop traffic, I rode around them and continued for a few km, then the road was not sealed and I could see excavators working further down the highway, I rode on the dirt tracks as far as I could, here they were excavator part of a hill away to make access for the new highway, I had to go back from here as no access.

I will go exploring a few other sections of this highway in the coming days, gets me out the house lol

 

[Heineken]

A few days ago I had an hour or two to spare on my way to Chiang Rai city so I was travelling the 1152 (my scenic way to town ) and noticed the new highway under construction was now bitumen, so a quick U turn and I headed on the new highway towards the Nong Luang Lake, at a guess the dual carriage way goes for about 10km and then you come to the bridge construction


This bridge is huge, at a guess it would be 3/4 of a km long, at the moment it looks like all the bridge supports are finished, next will come is the bridge beams ....................I rode the X-max over to the Wat Pa Khantivudhum for a look and a better view of the length of this bridge.....................and then to the opposite side Nong Luang Park, where you can also see the bridge under construction.

I decided to ride back to the 1152 and straight across the road to the next section that heads down towards the big Buddhist University, this section is not bitumen yet, construction machinery was still working on this section, it only goes about 1km to near the University, where another bridge is under construction, this time a fly over by the looks of it .............................at a guess the 1152 might get diverted to go under this fly over, as it is quite a busy road, and it doesn't look like a fly over will be where this new dual carriage way intersects the 1152 at the moment

At the Nong Luang Park you can see the bridge under construction in the background ....................and it looks like they are removing some of the water plants from the lake, looking on google maps this is a very big lake................Ive noticed it is very popular with the locals as a fishing spot..............

 

[Deano747]

Gotta love this truck - lights, mirrors, and by the colour of the 6 huge exhausts, they are all connected

 

[Heineken]

Out and about on the X-max again this morning, this time I went for another look at the other end of this new Highway, I entered off the 1020, I think David might have to rename this thread because this Highway is named the R1421, it has multiple signs, overhead and on the side of the road stating 1421


Last time I was out this way the bridge over the Ing River was under construction, although you could ride under the bridge on a temporary road, not the case today, the river is flowing fast ...........................today the bridge is still not finished, although they let the X-Max cross the bridge , signs everywhere saying it closed, that is what I presume as they are in Thai.............anyway I rode onto the bridge and no one said a word, I could only go 3/4 of the way as there was a Crane in operation, I stopped and took some photos and then a pick-up pulled up and fella walked over to me and said "where you go falang?".....................I responded with Phaya Mengrai and he said oh, go this way and he pointed ride over the bridge, he made a small crane get out of my way so I could proceed


I carried on the R1421 until I came across the crushing plants shifting a rock hill so the Highway can go through.................they have shifted alot of the hill since last time i was out this way, so much that you can actually carry on and get back on the dual carriageway, not sealed in places but a very good foundation ........................from here the road goes to the intersection with the R1174, where I turned left and headed to Phaya Mengrai

Once you get here to the R1174 intersection I turned left and headed for home, not before crossing the intersection to check progress ..................................you can only ride about 400m until you come to another hill of rock, my prediction is when the crushers complete their current work they will be shifted down to shift this hill.


I rode around the hill on a small track, and all thats there is rice fields, no road construction what soever so I presume that this new Highway might be opened in stages...................the intersections look like they are nearly ready for traffic, and this section would be a year or two away before completion IMO

 

[DavidFL]

Time to go & take another look then. That missing bit is interesting, waiting for a new budget to complete the missing link?

 

[DavidFL]

Update 14 October
Took another look at it on the way home from Chiang Rai & reinstalling my Ohlins shock after a rebuild. And what a difference it is - like riding a new bike again. Woo-Hoo.

But back to the road works - damn impressive the progress they are making.
Lots more asphalt & a few long finished sections.

1. You can ride across the bridge on the Ing River

The approach from west side is still unsealed.
The view from the bridge heading east to Khun Ta & Phaya Phipak

On the far right hand side, you can just see the Phaya Phipak road R4018 going up the ridge line.

Confirmed the route # is R1421

Heineken was asking about this building

I tried to get in there today, but was stopped at the gate.

Private residence I thought the security guard was trying to tell me. Wow that's quite a house I chuckled to myself.
Who owns that - what business does he have?
Medicine, makes paracetamol.....Millimed?
So now I see Google Maps shows it is as the Millimed Company Google Maps

About Us

Google Maps

So is it a bloody big house or a pharmaceutical manufacturing laboratory......?

The bridge over Nong Luang lake
I rode into the construction site from the east side for a look.

The workers were just heading off for lunch.

Not able to cross the bridge or the lake, I rode around the other side the it looks like this from the east side

All this is happening here on google maps
Google Maps

What I find interesting are the missing links
There are basically two, one to the north of the Millimed mansion & one to the North of Phayamengrai.

The missing link north of Millimed ends up here, Google Maps if you go in from the West

And could appear to be a land acquisition issue, for there is nothing happening on the other side.

North of Phayamengrai there is a significant distance of completed new 4-lane, that suddenly peters out onto the old rural road to link back up with R1174.
You get excited when you first head off on this completed new section too

to suddenly without warning end up on this...the joy of motorcycle riding in Thailand. It keeps you alert & on the ball. I love it.

then you have to wind your way around for 2 kms & get on R1174, close by the new section to the Ing river bridge & R1020.

It is going to be a magnificent ride when it is all finished.

 

[Heineken]

Looks like they have been working hard on the bridge over the Ing, all that railing now inplace and one side sealed aswell


It was a little over 5 x weeks ago when I rode across and it was nothing like that


It will take alot of traffic off the 1020 when completed, which is a good thing for the future

 

[Heineken]

Progress continues building the bridge over the Nong Luang lake, its been 3 x months since I had a look and boy have they steamed ahead............................all the bridge pylons look completed and now they are lifting the bridge beams into place, surprisingly they have filled in the lake inbetween the pylons so 2 x mobile cranes can lift the bridge beams, I presume this clay will be removed once the work has finished on the bridge construction and it will return to the natural lake

 

[Lakota]

I've never had a good look at that section of the Road. I can't see them removing the 'clay' afterwards. Does the bridge just skirt around the Lake rather than through it!?

 

[Heineken]

I've never had a good look at that section of the Road. I can't see them removing the 'clay' afterwards. Does the bridge just skirt around the Lake rather than through it!?

The bridge goes over the lake smack bang in the middle, probably the widest part of the lake


If the clay was to stay it would make sense to make a causeway with a small bridge in the centre of the lake, this bridge looks to be 500 to 700m in length, must be costing millions and millions of baht

 

[DavidFL]

Progress continues building the bridge over the Nong Luang lake, its been 3 x months since I had a look and boy have they steamed ahead............................all the bridge pylons look completed and now they are lifting the bridge beams into place, surprisingly they have filled in the lake inbetween the pylons so 2 x mobile cranes can lift the bridge beams, I presume this clay will be removed once the work has finished on the bridge construction and it will return to the natural lake

Damn that's impressive.

 

[Heineken]

Its been over 3 x months since I had a look at the bridge work progress over the Nong Luang lake and boy have they steamed ahead ............................if you asked me the day before I went there how long ago was I there and my answer would of been a month or so ago, not over three, boy does time fly


As usual no one says a word to me on site as I wander around taking photos, until a guy with a safety hat on walks over to me, I thought this will be the get off site man .................nope he was just curios as to why I was taking photos, when I told him I come for a look every month or so he was happy I am interested...................................his name is MOT and he is the site foreman, he had good English and told me they are running on schedule, they have to have the bridge completed by August 2022 as per there agreement, otherwise they will get fined, similar as to in Australia.


I also asked whether the clay road they have built to cart the bridge beams out to the pylons would stay or be removed ?...........................his answer was they will take away, under the bridge (where we were standing) will be all water again, so the fish can go everywhere


Check out MOT's solar powered cooling fan built into his safety helmet, what a great idea, his comments was it works very well, can turn on or off if you like.


I liked the idea of the green and gold bridge railings, on the outside only, looks great, the inside barrier looks to be the usual concrete.........................from a distance the green should help the bridge blend into the scenery IMO

 

[canthai]

First time I have seen a trombone trailer here

 

[Heineken]

First time I have seen a trombone trailer here

I had to Google Trombone Trailer as I have never heard of that term, in Australia these are termed as an Extendable Trailer.


I have seen them in Thailand before at various locations, coming from a Transport background I tend to notice alot of this type of equipment

 

[DavidFL]

I also asked whether the clay road they have built to cart the bridge beams out to the pylons would stay or be removed ?...........................his answer was they will take away, under the bridge (where we were standing) will be all water again, so the fish can go everywhere

Good news. I was wondering about this