Two Routes To Be Ready In Lieu Of Rama II: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

Two routes to be ready in lieu of Rama II

The Nation

Two alternative routes heading to the South are expected to be fully salvaged by Saturday to be used in place of Rama II Road that would hardly escape inundation, Transport Ministry permanent secretary Suphoj Saplom said yesterday.

Route 340 (Bang Bua Thong-Suphan Buri) is now partly flooded, covering a distance of about 27 kilometres of the entire length of 189km. The lowest section is one metre below the mean sea level between km markers 15-19.

Flood barriers, comprising large rubber jars and round concrete pipes, are being built along all inundated sections before flood water is pumped out, he said.

After Route 340 and Route 346 - Lat Lum Kaew-Kamphaeng Saen - are fully dried, motorists will be advised to use both roads, together with a Western Outer Ring Road section which is now flooded but is being recovered, to form a road network in place of Rama II.

The ministry is also tackling inundation in certain flooded motorway sections of eastern Bangkok, Minister Sukampol Suwannathat said. He repeated the government's and the ministry's stance of letting flood water go out through and along Rama II Road naturally the way it does, dismissing a proposal to blow it open to create extra channels.

Asked to comment on a huge flood-water mass now only 7km away from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Sukampol said: "No worries. It won't be flooded. Don't fear the flood. I am confident that the airport will make it."

The ministry has prioritised post-flood repair works: main routes linking each region; routes leading to industrial estates and business communities; routes leading to cargo depots, piers and seaports.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the use of big bags in northern Bangkok could keep away only half of the flood water still coming to Bangkok from Pathum Thani, and said additional measures were needed. She did not elaborate.

After completion of a big-bag barrier along a long section of Vibhavadi Rangsit, another barrier along Chatharubeksa Road in eastern Don Mueang Air Force compound is being built.

Yingluck said barriers could not effectively stop the flood water but only slowed it down, while drainage at full speed and capacity was important to keep flood water in inner Bangkok constantly low.

Asked about villagers living on the flooded side of the first big-bag wall threatening to block the tollway and demanding its dismantling, Yingluck said a compromise would be needed after entering into negotigations.

Sukampol had earlier said 5-10 metres of big-bag barriers had been destroyed by frustrated residents. Police had to explain to them that their action would not help to lower the flood-water level on either side.

He said the water outside the wall had decreased by another 40cm and the influx did not creep much further into inner Bangkok, an indicator that the big-bag barrier was effective to some extent.

Separately, evacuation was yesterday ordered in a few more areas in Khan Na Yao district in Bangkok while Lat Phrao subdistrict in the district with the same name is on a close-watch list.

The Saen Saeb canal tide has increased in Bang Chan area and Saphan Sung district while flood water in northern Bangkok inside the big-bag area has decreased by 25cm on the Vibhavadi highway.

A city administration flood-water forecast said the parallel canals along a Vibhavadi section from the Suthisarn intersection to Veterans' hospital - the most advanced influx entering Bangkok from the north - would increase in the next 24 hours.

-- The Nation 2011-11-10

[mdechgan]

1st of all even if Kanchanapisek west is recovered there is no access to it from inner Bangkok. Most bridges and nearby roads are inaccessible. The two main roads to Kanchanapisek linked to inner Bangkok, phetchkasem and boromrachachonnani are under water, one can take the tollway and access it but will have to use Rama 2 Rd. which could be under water also. That leaves the long way around from Kanchanapisek East or Bhumibol bridge.

Edited November 10, 2011 by mdechgan

[Hornell]

"Two Routes South to the ready in lieu of Rama 2....... "so what the heck has the Road 340 from Bang Bua Thong to Suphanburi, which is only about 65 km, got to do with it? The quality of reporting in the Nation leaves me speechless. Thank goodness for the Flood watch forum update of ThaiVisa.com!

[mdechgan]

"Two Routes South to the ready in lieu of Rama 2....... "so what the heck has the Road 340 from Bang Bua Thong to Suphanburi, which is only about 65 km, got to do with it? The quality of reporting in the Nation leaves me speechless. Thank goodness for the Flood watch forum update of ThaiVisa.com!

It means detour. Instead of taking Rama 2 Rd. to the south to samut songkhram, petchburi one will have to make a detour by going north to bang bua thong, then west to suphan buri then make their way south through nakorn pathom and ratchaburi so adding only a few hundred km, a couple of provinces and a few hours to their trip.

Edited November 10, 2011 by mdechgan

[wayned]

You are right, but there's only one big problem, the outer ring road(9), where 340 connects to it and all roads from the inner city are flooded and impassable. My house on the Banguary - Sai Noi road near that junction in Bang Bua Thong still has 80 cm inside and there's over a meter in the road. If you look at the road map available from the department of highways, www.doh.go.th, which is updated daily, you can see the problem. Of course he will clear that route first, it's in the north and will obviously drain first. He will be the hero! More political BS!

"Two Routes South to the ready in lieu of Rama 2....... "so what the heck has the Road 340 from Bang Bua Thong to Suphanburi, which is only about 65 km, got to do with it? The quality of reporting in the Nation leaves me speechless. Thank goodness for the Flood watch forum update of ThaiVisa.com!

It means detour. Instead of taking Rama 2 Rd. to the south to samut songkhram, petchburi one will have to make a detour by going north to bang bua thong, then west to suphan buri then make their way south through nakorn pathom and ratchaburi so adding only a few hundred km, a couple of provinces and a few hours to their trip.

[rolschu]

I always believed my geographical knowledge is quite OK, but when I try to follow these "solutions" I am lost. How in earth should this help the trafic to the south?

[sparebox2]

Thai people should have listen to Thaksin. Yes the Thaksin that you have in your mind right now.

Thaksin is very visionary. he see this flooding and cut of of Thailand south coming. He wanted to build a road on the sea (if not mistaken, elevated all the way from Bangkok to Cha-Am). Than we do not have to worry about flooding on Rama 2 now.

See. This is the best proof, what will happen if you do not follow the vision of, Thaksin. Yes the Thaksin that you have in your mind right now.