Traffic sinks into chaos as sinkhole swallows up Chaeng Watthana Road, Nonthaburi

Heavy rainfall yesterday led to the sudden emergence of a 1.5-meter deep sinkhole on Chaeng Watthana Road in Nonthaburi, causing severe traffic disruption that extended up to the Lak Si monument. Traffic had to be redirected with the partial closure of two lanes as a safety measure at noon today.

Chaeng Watthana Road, directly affected by the sinkhole, particularly its outbound side, was dealing with a heavy flow of traffic towards the Pak Kret intersection. The considerable hole stretched to nearly 2 meters wide, and 4 meters long, abruptly appearing in the second lane from the roadside, transforming it into a cavern of significant magnitude. Only two available lanes remained for the influx of vehicles that normally traversed the path, leading to prolonged traffic congestion.

Speaking on the situation, Police Lieutenant Colonel Noppadol Panyakrakrong, Deputy Inspector of Pak Kret Police Station, stated that heavy rainfall the previous day in the Pak Kret area led to flooding and consequential drain overflow. The rainwater operated as a catalyst, sweeping away sand from under the asphalt and into the drain, subsequently inducing the formation of a subterranean void beneath the road, leading to its eventual collapse, reported KhaoSod.

Upon receiving the report at around 10am today, officers have been diligently coordinating immediate reparations on the crater. Lt. Col. Noppadol said…

“After the cement work to patch the hole is completed, we estimate that we will be able to restart normal traffic arrangements around 2pm to 3pm.”

The closure of two lanes has caused traffic gridlock extending from Chaeng Watthana Road to Lak Si Monument. Frequent motorists are requested to avoid Chaeng Watthana Road during these hours.

Additionally, Santirat Suwannapim, an engineer from the Pink Line electric train project operating under Chino – Thai Co., Ltd., said the issue stemmed from an underground pipe-pulling operation which let loose the sand along with the water.

The road surface at that particular spot had been constructed well over four to five months ago but the recent severe rainfall led to the creation of a significant cavity. Santirat said…

“As we conducted a road-surface investigation, we found an approximately 1-meter-deep pit underneath. Once we finish repairing the sinkhole later today around 3pm, all four lanes are expected to be back to normal operation.”