Bridging the gap: DRR lays tracks for Kui Buri railway safety and progress
The Department of Rural Roads (DRR) has completed two rail crossing bridges in the Kui Buri district, as part of safety measures to prevent road accidents. The bridges, located between the fourth intersection of Highway No 1003 and Baan Pho Riang, are expected to support the Transport Ministry’s future double-track railway projects.
This initiative comes in response to the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) new safety measures, which necessitate either a crossing bridge or tunnel at any crossing point with a traffic moment quantity of 100,000 and over.
The DRR decided to build the bridges in response to reports of chronic accidents in the area, dedicating 288.7 million baht (US$7,860,000) of the budget for fiscal 2021-2022.
The longer of the two bridges, measuring 1,246 metres in length, features a U-turn point beneath it and is divided into two parts.
The first part is a bridge running 310 metres in length and 10 metres in width, while the second part is a concrete road spanning 7 metres in width. The second bridge is 449.95 metres long and 8 metres wide and includes a single crosswalk bridge, reported Bangkok Post.
This project is one of 153 railway crossings that fall under the DRR’s responsibility.
The rail crossing project, which aims to reduce the rate of road accidents involving cars and trains, was approved due to increasing safety concerns in the area.
Of the 153 railway crossings that fall under DRR’s responsibility, 42 were interchange crossings, 10 have not been completed, and the remaining 111 are land-level crossings, all equipped with the necessary partitions and lightboxes.
The DRR is hopeful that these safety measures will contribute to the overall security of the area and support the Transport Ministry’s double-track railway developments.
Last year, two upcoming bridge projects in South Thailand had a budget approved for them. Thailand’s transport minister announced yesterday that the Thai Cabinet has given the green light on the plans, which will cost about 6.6 billion baht. To read more click HERE.
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