Phuket’s delayed underpass upgrade project is now complete

July closures affected four busy routes

The Phuket Highways Office extended overnight closures at the Bang Khu, Samkong, Darasamut and Chalong underpasses through 31 July. The planned closure window was 8:30pm to 6am, giving crews access to continue work on lighting, electrical equipment and the island’s remote traffic-monitoring system. It was the seventh extension of the night closure schedule.

The wider project was designed to modernise traffic management across Phuket’s underpass network. Its equipment included remote power-failure alerts, automatic licence-plate recognition cameras and internet-connected variable message signs alongside replacement lighting and electrical systems.

The July notice covered four underpasses, while the full programme covered five. The difference is important because the later completion announcement referred to the project as a whole, not simply to the four locations that were still being closed at night in July.

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Completion came months after the original deadline

The roughly B48.4 million contract had an original completion date of 24 April. By 17 July, late penalties had reached B8.3 million as the work continued beyond that deadline, and further target dates were also missed.

At a provincial public-private committee meeting on 3 September, Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum said the works had reached 100% completion at all five underpasses as of 28 August. The Phuket Highways Office put the final late-completion penalty at B12.6 million.

For residents and drivers, the practical update is straightforward: the July night closures tied to this delayed project does not amount to an ongoing restriction. The upgrade was subsequently completed.

Finishing the Smart City works removes one recurring source of overnight disruption on major island routes. That is relevant to residents, families, shift workers and local businesses that regularly travel across Phuket outside daytime hours.

It does not mean every underpass is permanently free from roadworks. Separate maintenance or safety projects can still create their own closures; Darasamut, for example, had a different barrier-improvement project underway in August. Anyone planning a late journey should therefore check the current traffic situation rather than rely on the July closure notices.