Breaking News: Phuket underpass damaged, roadway cracked

PHUKET: Heavy rains last night left a section of road running alongside the troubled Samkong Underpass, as well as one of its walls, heavily damaged.

“Police and rescue workers were on site last night until about 2am to help with the traffic congestion caused by the damaged road,” Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police told the Phuket Gazette this morning.

“We closed the road, but then had to open it up for just a couple of hours this morning due to traffic levels. Nonetheless, it now needs to be closed for safety reasons.”

The project engineer from the Department of Highways, Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, explained to the Gazette that they were still assessing the extent of the damage and the steps that need to be taken to fix it.

Meanwhile, traffic police have asked motorists to avoid the southbound lane of traffic along the construction site.

The crack in the road and damage to the wall surfaced just a day after Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat and representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman Thailand reviewed the site.

The Samkong Underpass has been mired with issues for more than a year. The official deadline for completion of the project was pushed back three times before further delays led the government to fine the construction company 2 million baht a day (story here). The fines were first levied on January 23.

Additionally, safety issues regarding the quality of the road surface during the construction process forced local residents to step forward and ensure the safety of islanders after scores of complaints appeared to fall on deaf ears (story here).

— Chutharat Plerin