On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road construction to resume in March

The halted construction of the On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road, following a catastrophic collapse five months ago, is set to recommence in March. The plan is currently being revised by the Public Works Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

The elevated road, located on Luang Phaeng Road in Lat Krabang district, experienced a tragic collapse of a 600-metre section on July 10, last year. The incident, which occurred on an otherwise unremarkable Monday evening, claimed the lives of two individuals, an engineer and a construction worker, and resulted in injuries to 13 others.

The collapse, which spanned from Lotus’s Lat Krabang branch to Jorakay Noi Police Station, also inflicted damage on vehicles, electricity poles, and some neighbouring buildings. This devastating event led authorities to immediately halt construction.

To investigate the cause of the incident, the Public Works Department partnered with the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) and Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), Prasarnmit campus. The deputy director of the department, Thawatchai Somboon, confirms that they are awaiting results from the assessment team.

“We will let the EIT and SWU continue with their jobs, as we want to ensure the safety of the bridge users after the work is finished.”

He assured that the department is devising a construction plan that will circumvent such accidents in the future.

Enhanced safety measures are being negotiated with the contractor, including the installation of precast segment structures and improved traffic management, said Thawatchai.

“The project is expected to resume in March and will be finished early next year.”

Spanning a length of 3.36 kilometres, the On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road is a four-lane overpass, which was 20% completed at the time of the collapse. It was designed to connect Soi Lat Krabang 11, before the intersection with Suvarnabhumi Airport, to the Suvarnabhumi Waterworks Office, passing King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and Lat Krabang District Office.

The Public Works Department contracted a joint consortium of Tharawan Construction and Npa Construction for the On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road project on February 22, 2021. With a budget of 1.66 billion baht, the project was initially set to conclude in August 2023. However, owing to the pandemic, the completion date was extended to December this year, reported Bangkok Post.