The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) has opened a narrow detour around the site of Saturday’s expressway collapse on inbound Rama II Road, giving motorists access to the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway through the Dao Khanong toll plaza.
Exat said the two-lane detour was opened at 6am on Monday.
The Dao Khanong ramp of the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway was completely blocked by debris when an expressway beam being erected above the ramp collapsed early Saturday morning.
Exat said it was quickly removing the debris and intended to fully reopen inbound access to the Dao Khanong toll plaza within seven days.
Reopening of the outbound expressway ramp to Dao Khanong will take about 30 days because a span of the elevated ramp was hit by the falling beam and also fell to the ground.
Exat said removal of the debris was 75% complete as of Monday.
The collapse occurred on a part of the Rama III-Dao Khanong-Bangkok Outer Western Ring Road expressway being built above parts of the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway and Rama II Road. The contractor is the ITD-VCB Joint Venture of Italian-Thai Development Plc and Vichitbhan Construction Co.
Officials supervise the removal of debris from the expressway collapse site near the Dao Khanong toll plaza in Chom Thong district, Bangkok, on Sunday. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)