Highways District Office 2 announced the closure of the Bailey bridge near Ban Pang Ka for repairs, which was shaken after a flash flood blew away the bridge’s support pillars, causing damage.
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Highways District Office 2 announced the closure of the Bailey bridge near Ban Pang Ka for repairs, which was shaken after a flash flood blew away the bridge’s support pillars, causing damage.
On September 14, 2024, reporters reported that a flash flood from the Ngao River caused the supporting pillars of the Bailey Bridge in Ban Pang Ka, Village No. 8, Tambon Tap Tao, Amphoe Thoeng, Chiang Rai Province to sway. Mr. Supawich Chuprempree, Deputy Director of Chiang Rai Highway District 2, ordered officials to inspect the area and found that it was unsafe for travel. Therefore, the bridge was announced to be closed. All types of vehicles were unable to travel. Coordination was made with the Bridge Construction and Restoration Center 1 (Phichit) to carry out repairs. It is expected that the bridge will be open for use tomorrow (September 15, 2024).
The cause of the bridge damage was reported at approximately 8:00 a.m. today by Chiang Rai Highways District 2 officials that a Bailey bridge support pillar in Ban Pang Ka, Tambon Tap Tao, Amphoe Thoeng, was swaying. An investigation found that the cause was heavy rain for a long period of time, which caused a flash flood to blow away the Bailey bridge support pillars and damage them.
Another reason for the bridge to deteriorate quickly is that there were heavy trucks that violated the sign prohibiting trucks weighing more than 8 tons and over 2.5 meters high from crossing the bridge, causing the bridge to deteriorate and become unstable, fearing danger to travelers. It was necessary to close the bridge for repairs. The Bridge Construction and Restoration Center 1, which was notified, sent officials to the area to urgently repair it and will reopen it tomorrow. This flash flood came quickly and passed quickly. There are no reports of impacts in the area.
Not long ago, the Kok River Bridge, connecting Tambon Pong Noi, Amphoe Doi Luang and Tambon Tha Khao Pluek, Amphoe Mae Chan, collapsed due to floodwaters that swept logs into the bridge piers, causing the bridge to collapse and crack in the middle of the bridge. The Bridge Repair and Restoration Center installed a Bailey bridge, allowing traffic to pass through.
But recently, on September 13, the bridge collapsed and cracked again for the second time. The cause was that water washed debris into the bridge piers, and partly because overweight trucks illegally crossed the bridge, similar to the case of the bridge at Ban Pang Ka. Therefore, the Chiang Rai Highways District 2 had to announce the indefinite closure of the bridge.