Bus wreck 304 mountain road. Cleard yet?

[samsingsong]

On the way north to Korat on Sunday we saw the sad wreckage of the bus crash which killed 14 and injured 40 on the 304 road over the mountain. Our hearts go out to the victims and their friends & families.

We have to return that route in a few days but don't want our trip to coincide with the wreckage being removed. Over 10 years or so we've suffered a couple of nightmare traffic jams on that mountain road.

Has anybody seen if it's been removed yet? If not, please keep me posted!

Many thanks.

[Bpuumike]

Didn't see anything on the way down from Korat last night.

Last night mind you so the whole trip in darkness.

[steve73]

I've started making that journey via Saraburi and Bangkok recently.. It's around 100km longer, but you can often do it a little quicker, and there are usually less "check-points" requiring pension subsidies.

[samsingsong]

Thanks.

If anyone else has been on the 304 'mountain road', please let me know if there is still any

bus / truck wreckage or not.

Many thanks.

[KhunBENQ]

It has been cleared on Monday morning, March 3.

Terrible to watch the action:

https://plus.google.com/photos/113259216957967431864/albums/5987242323078127073?authkey=COqV45220vG1Fw

(my name is not Bernhard btw. )

Last picture shows the final towing downhill.

On the right side you see the clearing of the truck remains using a crane that finally moves backwards downhill (no space to turn).

It lasted a little more than an hour.

When the road was cleared: driving uphill about 500 m, all lanes blocked by donwhill traffic.

"blockheads" literally.

Had to creep along the left strip carefully.

Ruthless as we known them.

[samsingsong]

Thank you for that info KhunBenq.

Now we are free to head home from 'the village' (it's too hot here!)

I wouldn't have wanted to get stuck in a mountain road traffic jam while they cleared the wreck.

The road has greatly improved over the years though - we used to always see something crashed on

that trip. But some of those bus drivers are maniacs - we've seen such crazy driving on that

dangerous road.

[KhunBENQ]

Now finally they are talking about plans to improve the southern ramp (the northern ramp has been finished long ago and is very easy to drive).

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1393848212&section=12

The plan includes extending the road to 4 lanes, separating opposing lanes with concrete slabs, constructing special lane for trucks, and adding devices to slow down the vehicles on the descending slope.

The engineers would also install reinforcing structures along the road to prevent any soil erosion in the future, Mr. Sarawut said.

[oldsailor35]

Thank you for that info KhunBenq.

Now we are free to head home from 'the village' (it's too hot here!)

I wouldn't have wanted to get stuck in a mountain road traffic jam while they cleared the wreck.

The road has greatly improved over the years though - we used to always see something crashed on

that trip. But some of those bus drivers are maniacs - we've seen such crazy driving on that

dangerous road.

Get real ! It is not the highly trained drivers to blame, but the hilly country and the bad brakes that appear to be fitted to all buses.