PHETCHABUN: Highway officials have warned travellers of cracks in the main road to Phu Thap Boek, a popular mountainous attraction in Lom Kao district, and possible mudslides.
There were cracks and subsidence on the eighth kilometre marker on Highway 2331 in tambon Ban Noen on Tuesday after persistent rain in Phu Thap Boek.
The new cracks stretched along the descending lane. On Sept 28, a 200-metre-long crack appeared in a curved section of this highway, and a motorcyclist sought help after he drove into the crack and fell.
Workers had repaired the cracks and removed soil and debris from a section of the road. They had erected red flags on the road to warn motorists to exercise caution.
On Tuesday, most areas of Phetchabun’s Lom Sak district had been hit by flooding. The district is located at the base of Phu Thap Boek.
Lom Sak mayor Kitti Phuachuay said water from the Pa Sak River and Nam Phung canal overflowed to most parts of the district. Flood levels were 10-30 centimetres deep on main roads, and some 4,000 families living near the river were affected.
“Pumps were installed. It will take about two days to drain floodwater after deluges stop,” he said.
In Muang district of Phetchabun, flood levels remained unchanged and two communities near the river were affected on Tuesday, said Muang mayor Seksan Niyompeng.
He expected flood levels to rise by about 20cm when more water arrives from the Pa Sak River, Nam Phung canal and Huay Khon Kaen reservoir in Nan province.