MEA begins road digging to bring overhead utility cables underground



BANGKOK -- Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) has started digging one side of the Rajvithi road as a first step of its ambitious project to bring its overhead utility cables throughout Bangkok underground.

One lane of Rajvithi road from Tuekchai intersection to the Victory Monument is closed to traffic from 10 am until 5 am of the next morning and from 9 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday so workers can dig the road for the laying of an underground pipeline to store the utility cables.

On weekends and public holidays, the lane will be closed 24 hours to facilitate the dredging work which is expected to be completed on August 15 after which a pipeline will be installed.

MEA has planned to bring the overhead utility cables on 39 roads underground for a distance of about 127 kilometres. Designing of the underground cable is expected to be completed in the middle of next year.

Overhead utility cables are divided into three types: high voltage cables, low voltage cables and communication cables of about 20 telecom firms. Work on putting the cables underground will start in 2018 and it will take about five years for completion at a total cost estimated at 48 billion baht to be shared by MEA, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and telecom companies.

Several restrictions have been identified about moving overhead utility cables underground: only 150 metres of the road can be dredged each night from 10 pm to 5 am of the next morning and on some routes even if the electrical cables are brought underground, power poles cannot be removed because there are still many other utility cables which are yet to be removed.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mea-begins-road-digging-bring-overhead-utility-cables-underground/


-- Thai PBS 2016-07-07

But be careful, don't just "Mai pen rai" cut cables and bury....

Otherwise people wonder why no electricity for hours....

127 kms, then 8000 more to go.

So the MEA is digging up the road, 150 meters at a time, to do its own thing. The other services will be staying where they are for now.

Which means they will be digging up the road again at a later date.

Fortunately the companies signed an agreement to work together...

I have to wonder if there has really been any proper planning done. Or its just dig a hole and chuck em in!