New Chiang Khong Bypass + the Northern High Speed Train

[DavidFL]

Finally they've started work (several months ago) on the new Chiang Khong bypass to the west of town.
This bypass will greatly reduce the volume of trucks using Chiang Khong city with a link up to the bridge & no need for vehicles coming from the North to drive through town.

At the northern end it starts here

20°17'02.0"N 100°23'38.0"E · 20.283889, 100.393889

goo.gl

At the southern end it links up near here

20°13'07.4"N 100°23'43.0"E · 20.218722, 100.395278

goo.gl

And should link up with the bridge road.

20°12'54.8"N 100°24'16.4"E · 20.215222, 100.404556

goo.gl

The estimated construction period is 3 years.
The project is long over due & will be convenient for the high speed train project.

The high speed train to Chiang Khong

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xSYtcIzLteb8yYPYEGGJhFeSDJd8RmEs&shorturl=1&ll=19.11156989608551%2C100.15139699999999&z=8

Some interesting info on the high speed train

Three contractors for Denchai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong are:

Contract 1 : Denchai - Ngao including the new station building for Denchai and Ngao station (103 km with the mean price of 26,599.16 million Baht) - Italian Thai Development PCL (ITD) and Naowarat Phatthanakarn PCL (NWR) won the bidding at 26,568 million Baht.

Contract 2: Ngao - Chiang Rai without either Ngao station or Chiang Rai station (132 km with the mean price of 26,913.78 million Baht) - Ch. Karnchang PCL (CK) - Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PCL (STECON) won the bidding at 26,900 million Baht.

Contract 3: Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong including Chiang Rai station (87 km with the mean price of 19,406.31 million Baht) - Ch. Karnchang PCL (CK) - Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PCL (STECON) won the bidding at 19,390 million Baht.

CK -STECON got 2 contracts for Denchai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong Railway project to be done in 2027 including:
Contract 2: Ngao - Chiang Rai (excluding Ngao station and Chiang Rai station) with Ch. Karnchang PCL, Sino Thai Engineering and Construction PCL and Buriram Phanasin Co. Ltd. 132 km with 4 stations 8 halts, 1 railway tunnel and installation of signal and telecommunication with the price tag of 26,890 million Baht
Contract 3: Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong (including Chiang Rai station) with Ch. Karnchang PCL, Sino Thai Engineering and Construction PCL and Chiang Mai Construction Co. Ltd. 87 km with 3 stations 3 halts, 1 railway tunnel and installation of signal and telecommunication with the price tag of 19,385 million Bah

Some links with train info

Chiang Rai Railway: (Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong)

The Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong Railway is a proposed new railway in Northern Thailand. The railway would branch off from the current Bangkok-Chiang Mai Railway at Den Chai, to…

futuresoutheastasia.com

Northern double-track railway to Mekong to open 2023

CHIANG RAI: Construction of the 323km double-track railway from Den Chai in Phrae to Chiang Khong on the Mekong River border will be accelerated so it can enter service two years earlier, the transport minister announced on Thursday.

www.bangkokpost.com

https://www.boi.go.th/upload/content/Infrastructure%20Development%20Plan%20by%20Mr.%20Chaiwat%20Thongkamkoon%20(EN)_5b7f83df1eff2.pdf

As much info as you can get in Thai

 

[DavidFL]

The detail in this map link above is incredible.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xSYtcIzLteb8yYPYEGGJhFeSDJd8RmEs&shorturl=1&ll=20.224748651028765%2C100.40945271267431&z=16

You can clearly see the overpass roads on the railway line.
Below is the planned one for Chiang Khong city

Zoom in & follow the rail line south to Den Chai & you can see all the overpasses in yellow & the tunnels in orange.

This is the tunnel (orange) & overpass on R1098

The Phayao overpass at Mae Tam

The biggest tunnel would appear to be south of Ngao, off R103.
There are two of them

 

[jimboy]

The Phayao overpass at Mae Tam with the train line cutting through the expanse of fields sure is going to spoil the view. Such is progress. Hard to argue against rail given the environmental advantage over road haulage.

I hope that in areas close to the nature reserves such as the mountains where the 1098 crosses, tunnels will be included so animals can move from one side of the track to the other. Otherwise the track will form an ecological barrier which reduces species diversity.

 

[Ian Bungy]

Finally they've started work (several months ago) on the new Chiang Khong bypass to the west of town.
This bypass will greatly reduce the volume of trucks using Chiang Khong city with a link up to the bridge & no need for vehicles coming from the North to drive through town.

At the northern end it starts here
View attachment 146136

20°17'02.0"N 100°23'38.0"E · 20.283889, 100.393889

goo.gl

View attachment 146137

View attachment 146138

At the southern end it links up near here
View attachment 146139

20°13'07.4"N 100°23'43.0"E · 20.218722, 100.395278

goo.gl

View attachment 146140

And should link up with the bridge road.

20°12'54.8"N 100°24'16.4"E · 20.215222, 100.404556

goo.gl

The estimated construction period is 3 years.
The project is long over due & will be convenient for the high speed train project.

The high speed train to Chiang Khong

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xSYtcIzLteb8yYPYEGGJhFeSDJd8RmEs&shorturl=1&ll=19.11156989608551%2C100.15139699999999&z=8

Some interesting info on the high speed train

Three contractors for Denchai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong are:

Contract 1 : Denchai - Ngao including the new station building for Denchai and Ngao station (103 km with the mean price of 26,599.16 million Baht) - Italian Thai Development PCL (ITD) and Naowarat Phatthanakarn PCL (NWR) won the bidding at 26,568 million Baht.

Contract 2: Ngao - Chiang Rai without either Ngao station or Chiang Rai station (132 km with the mean price of 26,913.78 million Baht) - Ch. Karnchang PCL (CK) - Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PCL (STECON) won the bidding at 26,900 million Baht.

Contract 3: Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong including Chiang Rai station (87 km with the mean price of 19,406.31 million Baht) - Ch. Karnchang PCL (CK) - Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PCL (STECON) won the bidding at 19,390 million Baht.

CK -STECON got 2 contracts for Denchai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong Railway project to be done in 2027 including:
Contract 2: Ngao - Chiang Rai (excluding Ngao station and Chiang Rai station) with Ch. Karnchang PCL, Sino Thai Engineering and Construction PCL and Buriram Phanasin Co. Ltd. 132 km with 4 stations 8 halts, 1 railway tunnel and installation of signal and telecommunication with the price tag of 26,890 million Baht
Contract 3: Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong (including Chiang Rai station) with Ch. Karnchang PCL, Sino Thai Engineering and Construction PCL and Chiang Mai Construction Co. Ltd. 87 km with 3 stations 3 halts, 1 railway tunnel and installation of signal and telecommunication with the price tag of 19,385 million Bah

View attachment 146141

Some links with train info

Chiang Rai Railway: (Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong)

The Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong Railway is a proposed new railway in Northern Thailand. The railway would branch off from the current Bangkok-Chiang Mai Railway at Den Chai, to…

futuresoutheastasia.com

Northern double-track railway to Mekong to open 2023

CHIANG RAI: Construction of the 323km double-track railway from Den Chai in Phrae to Chiang Khong on the Mekong River border will be accelerated so it can enter service two years earlier, the transport minister announced on Thursday.

www.bangkokpost.com

https://www.boi.go.th/upload/content/Infrastructure%20Development%20Plan%20by%20Mr.%20Chaiwat%20Thongkamkoon%20(EN)_5b7f83df1eff2.pdf

As much info as you can get in Thai

Who would of Guessed Buriram and Chiang Mai Construction won the Contracts 2 & 3! Incredible! Keep that family Machine Rolling in the Money!

 

[DavidFL]

@ Ian Bungy, who would have guessed too that that gentleman who runs Sino-Thai gets contracts, despite his construction of the new parliament house being 10 years behind schedule. Amazing Thailand.

 

[DavidFL]

Wandering round back blocks at Hmong New Year I came across this section of the bypass, that indicates it is going full speed ahead.

The location for those who may be interested

20°15'37.7"N 100°21'46.2"E · 20.260472, 100.362833

goo.gl

 

[DavidFL]

The new Chiang Khong bypass now shows on the updated rail line map.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1xSYtcIzLteb8yYPYEGGJhFeSDJd8RmEs&shorturl=1&ll=20.24822225177909%2C100.403134536876&z=14

 

[DavidFL]

Off to Chiang Rai to check out the Clumsy Strangers, playing at Steve's Hangover Bar, R1098 beckoned to see if I could check out the tunnel building process near Doi Luang

The south side of the tunnel on R1098

Location about here: LA OLA CHIANG RAI · 528/8-9 13 14 Thanon Baanpa Pragarn Road, Tambon Wiang, Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai 57000, Thailand

The North side

Location about here: LA OLA CHIANG RAI · 528/8-9 13 14 Thanon Baanpa Pragarn Road, Tambon Wiang, Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai 57000, Thailand

Just along from here they will be build a large overpass for R1098 to pass over the railway line as it comes out of the tunnel.

 

[DavidFL]

Found this on the web. A trick drone vdo of the line construction going north from Den Chai.

 

[DavidFL]

Returning from Phrae on R103 & checked out the location of the northern end of what's going to be the longest tunnel in Thailand.

Location here: 18°35'11.2"N 100°04'30.8"E · Luang, Ngao District, Lampang 52110, Thailand

 

[DavidFL]

Update 7 November 2024.

Behind schedule 38%

As per Google Translate
The progress of the bypass road in Chiang province. Chiang Rai
ก. ย. 67 results, 36.8% slower than plan, 21.3% from problem
- Utilities electrical, plumbing.
- Land Title
- Forest area, province. Forest 2484

Source The Northern Report.

The plan for the train checkpoint & "logistics hub" by the FB4 bridge.