Coss Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Pedestrians in the capital will be able to enjoy greater convenience and safety now that Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has promised to spend Bt15 billion on building the Super Skywalk System, a 50-kilometre clutter-free elevated walking space. The construction is scheduled for completion in four years. "It will help Bangkok residents move around more easily in crowded areas," Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribratra said yesterday. Since the skywalk will be covered, pedestrians will not have to worry about sun or rain, and close-circuit television and adequate lighting will also ensure safety. As the walkway will be linked to the mass transit system, such as the BTS and the subway, Sukhumbhand hopes people would be encouraged to leave their cars at home. He explained that the first phase of the walkway would cover 16km and construction would begin next month at a budget of Bt5.2 billion. The walkway will go down Sukhumvit Road, starting at Soi Nana and ending at Soi Bearing. This phase will also include some parts of Phya Thai, Ramkhamhaeng and Wong Wien Yai. The second phase will be 32km long and cover Ratchadamri, Silom, Sathorn, Phetchaburi, Ramkhamhaeng, Ekamai, Thonglor, Phaholyothin, Thon Buri and the Bang Wa areas. BMA said the Super Skywalk System would be an integrated project that addresses the needs of pedestrians on a long-term basis. Space for pedestrians is the only issue that has not been seriously addressed to meet the growing density of buildings in the past decade. "During the past 10 years, walking areas have covered just a kilometre and half," Sukhumbhand said. The Super Skywalk project is part Sukhumbhand's "Krungthep Gao-na" campaign. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Any map(s) of the proposed layout of the walking bridges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 A new place for sidewalk vendors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 There are already some bits & pieces up, but 1 problem is you can't cut through or go around the BTS stations. I would think (my first mistake when dealing with Thais ) that they could reprogram the turnstiles such that, if you entered & left at the same station, you would not be charged. Then you could continue walking through some of the areas already in place. No clutter would be mandatory. I'm amazed at how at a 15 m wide area (see MBK area), there isn't enough room for 2 people to walk past each other, FFS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Why not blimps to fly between skyscrapers? Be cheaper and a lot faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 In thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preahko Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I SO love this idea!!! I've been a proponent of this for years. I've always said that if they extended the second-floor-walkway BTS thingy that they have between Chitlom and Siam Square, Siam Square and National Stadium, and Asok across the evil intersection there to include the entire length of the BTS Sukhumvit line(!!) I would happily walk the entire length--Mo Chit to On Nut, and soon, beyond On Nut--as opposed to riding the train. Especially in the cool season. And before anyone starts coughing up hairballs about the BTS losing money on people like me using such a walkway instead of paying and taking the BTS, puh-leez, Fatty Farangs, I know most of you would walk a block to avoid walking up one flight of stairs, haha, so it's not "people like me" are going to cut into BTS' profits or anything. It would make Bangkok a much more pleasant place for those of us who actually like to WALK, which is an activity that will ensure that we remain "hansum man" well into our 70s, hahaha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I'll believe this when I see it (and walk on it ..). All the elevated walkways around Skytrain stations are packed with Thais and tourists alike, so it will be 'interesting', possibly in the Chinese sense. Cant see it being terribly popular with the street vendors/beggars/freelancers, but they are the very people that the burghers of Bangkok would like to see leave town. While I dont particularly enjoy dodging people in the tightly packed confines of the street stalls along Suk, there is a point where they will turn central BKK into Singapore or downtown KL, and both rapidly lose their lustre for me after a couple of days. Old folk and Bukit Bintang just werent made for one another, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I don't mind walking long distances, it's climbing fucking stairs, creasing your clothes, makes you sweat faster. I hope they have more escalators to get up to these things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Being in Sillypore last week and seeing escalators on the crosswalks over the roads and both up and down escalators...WTF...LOS, get yur head out of ur azz!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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