BANGKOK: Rama II Road, often called “The Road with Never-Ending Construction", has seen frequent accidents throughout its decades-long construction, attributed to a 50-year timeline of projects.
As a vital route to southern Thailand, it remains the site of numerous large-scale projects aimed at reducing severe traffic congestion.
The incident in which a concrete beam structure collapsed on to the construction site of Dao Khanong Expressway Bridge on the early morning of Saturday (March 15) was the latest addition to more than 2,500 construction-related accidents reported by the Department of Highways since 2019.
According to the department, the collapsed structure killed five persons and injured 24 others on Saturday at the construction site near Soi 25 of Rama II Road in Bang Mod subdistrict of Bangkok’s Chom Thong district.
The deceased included a Thai engineer, two Thai workers, and two migrant workers.
The bridge is part of the Rama III–Dao Khanong–Western Outer Ring Road Expressway project, under the responsibility of the Expressway Authority of Thailand.
The project was awarded to ITD-VCB joint venture, which consists of Italian-Thai Development Pcl and Vijitphan Construction Ltd.
Since 2019, the Department of Highways has reported more than 2,500 accidents on Rama II Road, also known as Highway No 35 (Dao Khanong–Wang Manao), resulting in 143 fatalities and 1,441 injuries (excluding the latest incident).
Notable accidents on Rama II Road
August 9, 2020: Two vehicles fell into a construction pit in Samut Sakhon because of inadequate warnings.
August 21, 2021: A worker fell to his death while installing a bridge beam.
July 17, 2022: Falling construction materials damaged vehicles and injured three people.
July 22, 2022: Cracks on an elevated bridge needed two weeks of repair work.
July 31, 2022: A U-turn bridge collapsed, killing two and injuring two others.
Mar 7, 2023: A crane toppled while lifting a backhoe.
May 7, 2023: A beam fell, killing one worker and damaging four vehicles.
November 29, 2024: A gantry crane and concrete segment collapsed during the M82 elevated highway project, resulting in multiple casualties.
- The Nation/ANN
