Following a two-week delay caused by a crane carrying a practical beam collided onto the street in Samut Sakhon on November 29, causing the accident that caused six workers to die and nine others to get hurt, visitors on Rama II Road entirely resumed on Saturday.
At 4.13 am, an incident occurred on the outbound traffic lanes of the elevated Ekkachai-Ban Phaeo Intercity Motorway 82 ( M82 ) site in the Muang district’s Khok Krabue sub-district.
Apirat Chaiwongnoi, director-general of the Department of Highways ( DoH ) said on Sunday that both inbound and outbound traffic have returned to normal.
According to him, officials from several organizations have collaborated to immediately clear the area, repair the area’s collapsed composition, and repair the road surface in 14 days.
Regarding payment for the families of the deceased and injured, he said the bills have been completed, totalling more than 5.4 million ringgit.
The Department of Highways expressed regret for the pain caused and thanks all travellers for their assistance in avoiding the way.
Five years of labor
The Rama II Road, or Highway No 35 ( Thon Buri-Pak Tho Road ) is 84 km long. In the southwestern region of Bangkok, it begins at the T-junction of Suk Sawat Road and Rama II Road.
Before making a connection to Highway No 4 or Phetkasem Road at KM 84 041 in Ban Wang Manao, Pak Tho city of Ratchaburi, the route passes through Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram.
Job has been under way on this path since 1973, or more than 50 years, said a cause. It has expanded from six to 10 roads and then 14 roads.
Expressways are currently being constructed above the street to deliver drivers with alternate routes to the south.
Three jobs are currently being built. One is the 30 billion ringgit Rama III Road to Rama II Road freeway.
The second is the 10.5 billion bass Rama II Road, which connects Bang Khun Thian in Bangkok and Ekachai in Samut Sakhon.
The second is Samut Sakhon’s increased Bridge No 82, which connects the Ekachai region to the Ban Phaeo district. The price is 18.7 billion ringgit.
Numerous accidents have occurred in recent years while initiatives on Rama II Road were being worked on, resulting in injuries or deaths for both drivers and workers. One Italian-Thai business worker, for instance, fell from an road beam during its installation, killing herself in 2021.
A 5-tonne cement slab from a U-turn gate fell on some passing cars in July 2022, causing two fatalities and two injuries. A car was harmed when a big mass of water that was trapped on an expressway fell on August 2022.
In 2023, there were three more incidents, including the one in which a worker was killed when material from an road fell on him in December. In January this year, a crow’s rope broke from a level of 15 feet, killing one employee, and injuring another.
Security measures needed
According to Prof. Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association ( TSEA ), accidents like the most recent one on November 29 illustrate the dangers that large-scale construction in Thailand poses for both workers and the general public.
In the short term, the requirements of all jobs that use sliding metal trusses may be reviewed, including operating procedures, network patterns, and the strength of the metal frame.
The” steel launching truss,” which lifts the material parts or sections to be aligned, is the underlying problem, and it necessitates the supervision of a high-level architect. That engineer had possess thorough understanding, never leave it up to the professionals to do it,” he said. According to him, employees are required to receive instruction in architecture and safety practices as well.
The authorities should pass laws enacting regulations for medium and long-term measures that apply to design using the sliding metal truss system. Engineers, foremen, material girder operators, and workers must complete training and a check to obtain a licence.
He said that in developed nations like Japan, laws exist to formally bind contractors who are aware of sliding metal truss systems to stop those who do not have knowledge from accepting the position. However, this has not already taken place in Thailand.
The state wants to punish the companies who caused the accident, which he agreed with, but said the government may even punish suppliers.
For good support, the state may have a list of contractors who have been trained and adhere to health requirements, so contractors can pick from the list rather than just pick any businesses, he said, some of whom may not have the understanding.
However, the Transport Ministry has yet to launch its investigation effect of the Nov 29 injury.
Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit stated that he had given the Department of Highways, the Department of Rural Roads, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, and the Comptroller General’s Department of the Finance Ministry the task of coordinating the contractors ‘ performance and to keep track of it in a” Contractor’s Notebook.”
He claimed that the laptop will keep track of the performance of each business that has agreements with state agencies. If a company fails to meet security requirements, the government will withdraw its scores and ultimately erase its title from the registry, barring them from state contracts.
Apirat: Personnel ‘ compensation paid
Amorn: Major works fraught with risk