Transport authorities are recommending detours to motorists as the collapse of a new expressway on Saturday seriously damaged an existing Bangkok-Thon Buri expressway ramp which connects to Rama II Road, a main southbound highway, and its complete reopening will take about a month.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) said near the collapse site on Sunday that police expected very heavy traffic congestion in the area on Monday as the collapse blocked both inbound and outbound traffic on the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway ramp near the Dao Khanong toll plaza.
Debris could be removed in seven days and the inbound side of the ramp of the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway could be reopened within the seven-day period, Exat said.
Repairs will take 30 days to complete, Exat added.
The damaged section of the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway connects to the Rama IX Bridge which links Bangkok and Thon Buri across the Chao Phraya River. The damaged section also links with Bangkok's main route to the South, Rama II Road (Highway 35).
Two temporary lanes could be built for inbound traffic to the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway but Exat would like motorists to avoid the Rama IX Bridge.
On the investigation into the cause of the collapse, Exat said that it could begin after debris was removed from the site and he wanted officials concerned to conclude the probe in 20 days after the debris removal.
On Sunday there were reports that a Myanmar man who was an injured victim in the incident died at Taksin Hospital on late Saturday and the death toll rose to six.
Five previously reported fatalities comprised a 39-year-old Thai engineer, two Thai workers and two foreign workers.
Previous construction accidents on Rama II Road have resulted in fatalities. One of the accidents took place on Nov 29 last year when a sling broke, resulting in six deaths and eight injuries. Another accident took place on Jan 18 last year when a sling snapped, killing a worker and causing the crane’s lifting basket to fall. In May 2023, a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab.
