Pak Kret sinkhole causes traffic disruption, urgent repairs underway

A giant sinkhole disrupted traffic at the mouth of the Pak Kret tunnel on Tiwanon Road when a precast concrete slab, covering an electrical conduit, collapsed due to heavy traffic. Authorities quickly cleared the area and temporarily halted traffic to urgently repair the damage, aiming to finish before the morning rush hour. The incident occurred at 8pm yesterday.

The Pak Kret sinkhole, discovered on the right lane of both inbound and outbound sides of Tiwanon Road, measured approximately 8 metres wide, 11 metres long, and was between 40 and 50 centimetres deep. It revealed a temporary conduit for underground electrical cables, originally covered by a precast concrete slab. The slab could not withstand the weight of the heavy traffic and gave way.

Initial measures by the police included cordoning off the affected Pak Kret sinkhole area. Meanwhile, heavy machinery was brought in by Chino-Thai Construction Co., Ltd. to expedite the repairs. The goal was to restore the road surface before the morning rush hour to prevent traffic congestion. The repair was estimated to be complete around 4am.

Senior Sergeant Major Thapanaphong Phuengmee, the Traffic Inspector of Pak Kret Police Station, said that a good citizen had reported the road collapse. After an inspection of the giant Pak Kret sinkhole, it appeared that the cause was likely a landslide into the conduit, which was approximately 8 metres wide, 11 metres long, and between 40 and 50 centimetres deep. The conduit was a temporary structure used for laying underground electrical cables. It was known that the project had already been handed over, and the collapse was likely due to an inability to support the weight.

The contractor was urgently contacted to rectify the Pak Kret sinkhole situation. The project’s engineers were required to inspect the area first. Initially, it was planned to reinforce the structure with beams to support the weight and temporarily adjust the road surface. The repair was expected to take several hours. During this period, traffic was light, so the road was closed to facilitate the repairs, reported KhaoSod.