Two lanes of Thai-Belgian Flyover open to traffic
TWO lanes of the Thai-Belgian Flyover near Lumpini Park in Bangkok were reopened yesterday afternoon, following a blaze that broke out in garbage bins under the four-lane bridge on Tuesday morning.
An inspection of the bridge found that the integrity of two of the lanes sustained only minimal damage in the fire. However, two other lanes heading towards Klong Toei were severely damaged and will be closed for repairs.
One of the damaged lanes will be opened for use on March 6 while the other lane will require one month to fix, said Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang.
During the repair period, the two undamaged lanes will be used for both incoming and outgoing traffic during normal hours, said Metropolitan Police Bureau’s traffic commander Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek. During the morning rush hours from 6am to 10am, both lanes will be reserved for inbound traffic, and during the evening rush hours from 3pm to 8pm, the two lanes will carry only outbound traffic.
Trucks with six wheels or more, buses and motorcycles will be prohibited from using the two lanes at all times.
The Thai-Belgian Flyover reportedly saw traffic from nearly 200,000 cars from 7am to 7pm on daily basis, said Jirasan.
Motorists wishing for more information can contact the traffic police command centre at 1197, visit www.trafficpolice.go.th, or use the smartphone application “Police I Lert U”.
Since the partial reopening yesterday, the traffic volume at and around the flyover’s Rama IV intersection was normal and 20 traffic policemen had been dispatched to accommodate motorists during the evening rush hours, said deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Jirapat Phumjit.
The police investigation into the Tuesday fire, which damaged 100 new garbage bins inside a storage cage under the flyover, is ongoing. It is suspected that a passing pedestrian or motorist discarded a lit cigarette butt, which may have caused the fire.