Sinkhole won't affect subway service: deputy city clerk
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The sinkhole on Rama IV road will have no effect on the subway service in the area, Deputy Bangkok City Clerk Jumpol Samphaopol said on Monday.
The sinkhole, which was about five metres in diameter, or two lanes across, and around 2 metres deep, opened up at the Rama IV intersection around 7.45pm Sunday night.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration managed to filled the hole and pave the road with asphalt and reopened the spot to traffic by 5am Monday.
Jumpol said the sinkhole would not affect the subway because the system had very good protection.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand also announced in a press statement that the sinkhole had no effect on the subway station at Lumpini Park because the station was about 20 metres underground.
Jumpol said the sinkhole might have been caused by a drainage tunnel under the Rama IV road because the tunnel was built in 1972 and had been in service for 40 years without any maintenance.
Jumpol said the tunnel was used to drain water at the speed of 220 cubic metres per second. The BMA would check whether seepage had occurred at the front of tunnel or not. If seepage was found, the tunnel might be shut down for repairs, he said.
He said the BMA would also check two similar tunnels under Heni Dunant Road and Sena Niwes Road.
He said representatives of the Metropolitan Water Authority and MRTA had been told to check their tunnels under all Bangkok roads for possible seepage.
BMA Deputy Bangkok Governor Thirachon Manomaipibul said the BMA’s Public Works Department was instructed to survey all BMA roads to check for possible sinkholes, using ultrasound equipment.
