Rockslide danger remains on Phuket’s busy bypass road

PHUKET: Work continues this morning clearing the huge shards of rock that spilled onto Phuket’s bypass road yesterday morning.

Police were called to the scene, about 800m north of the Tesco Lotus shopping mall, after receiving reports of a rockslide at about 8am yesterday.

Traffic police diverted motorists around the hazard while workers from Rassada Municipality worked on clearing the debris from the left lane.

After the initial tidy-up, however, huge shards of rock were left protruding into the emergency lane overnight, guarded only by a series of traffic cones to guide motorists around the hazard.

“The owner of the land from where the rockslide began is clearing the rest of the boulders today,” Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Phuket Highways Office, told the Phuket Gazette this morning.

“After that, they will cut away a section of the rockface to prevent any further rockslides from endangering motorists.”

The slide yesterday left a power supply pole leaning dangerously over the left lane at the site.

“The pole has been reset and no longer presents any danger,” Mr Samak assured.

— Woranut Pechdee