Latest mega-bridge news


(Photo: www.enerpac.com)

Bangkok bridge gets colourful introduction - Bangkok Post, September 3, 2006
The as-yet-unnamed ring road bridge will unveil its beauty on Saturday in a breathtaking light and fireworks display that will make it stand out from other bridges across the Chao Phraya river. The cable-stayed bridge encompasses both Thai arts and the latest in lighting technology in its design.
The diamond-shaped tops of the four main towers were influenced by the Thai headdress, the Chada. It symbolises the precious gift which His Majesty the King had extended to his subjects, said caretaker Deputy Transport Minister Chainant Charoensiri.
...The lights will also be turned on on Sept 10-12, from 6pm to midnight, to allow photographers to take pictures which they can enter in a special photography competition. The winner, to be named Sept 22, will receive the Princess' trophy and a 100,000-baht prize.

Mega bridge articles
Enerpac Integrated Hydraulic Solution for IRR Bangkok project - Movement of the world's largest movable scaffolding system - www.enerpac.com, 2005
Weekly cycle of four pylons simultaneously - Press Release July 2005
The Mega Bridge crosses twice the Chao Phraya river. The four pylons for the 702 m and 582 m long bridge sections reach heights of Mega Bridge, Industrial Ring Road, Bangkok, Thailand...

Irrigation Department speeding up Lad Pho shortcut canal - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Thairath, October 7, 2005
The Chief Engineer of Irrigation Department said that the Lad Pho Royal Project at Phra Padaeng district of Samut Prakarn is nearly done. This canal is to allow the speedy drainage by shortening the route from 18 km to 0.6 km, reliving the floods in Bangkok.
This canal will be 80 meter wide at the top and 65-66 meters wide at the bottom. The depth will be 7 meters. This is to help the drain 500 cubic meters per second. The watergates have been erected to control the water level. They will be opened only during the flood time on one side or when there is a rising tide threatening the orchards. The opening and closing is remote controlled.
This to solve the flood around Bang Krachao and Bangkok area outside BMA flood control such as Talingchan, Klong San, Bang Plad, Bangkok Noy, and even Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi.
The budget for the Lad Pho canal is 980 million baht and it is to be done by the end of 2006, but the Irrigation Department is speeding it up to be done by December 2005.

Lad Pho Canal to be done by the end of 2006 - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi Thairath, October 7, 2005
La Pho Canal--the shortcut canal across Bang Krajao area of Phra Padaeng will shorten the Chao Phraya Express Boat route by 18 km and make the water flow better during high tide and floods. This will be done by the end of 2006.

Mega-bridge rendering - May 20, 2004
A reader sent in this nice rendering in of the new mega-bridge, but no one seems to know the source.

July 20, 2004 - Ron Yee writes: Please be advised that the authorship of the rendering on the Mega Bridge Latest news page is Yee Associates: architects & designers.
Yee Associates are the concept architects of the Mega Bridge Project formerly known as the Industrial Ring Road Bridges.
You may be interested to also know that Yee Associates were also the original architects for the Rama VIII Bridge.

(Rendering: Yee Associates: architects & designers)

Norconsult mega project takes shape - May 17, 2004
Undated article (probably a couple years old) about the mega-bridge project: ...a unique double bridge complex with an engineering solution which is not seen anywhere else in the world.
First, the bridge will be 50 meters high to allow for ships coming up the Chao Phaya River to access Bangkok's Klong Toey harbour. Next, it will span the Chao Phraya River twice without touching down on the ground in between, because of the meandering flow of the River on its way to the Gulf of Siam. And last, but not least, 50 meters up there in mid air, in between the two bridges, an intersection will be build for motorists going North instead of crossing the second of the two bridges!...
Norconsult has designed a total of seven bridges spanning the Chao Phraya. The very first one was the New Memorial Bridge, "Pra Pok Klao", completed around twenty years ago. The company started working in Thailand in 1979 as the leading consultants on this bridge.
Next came the Krungthon Bridge in 1996 and then the Krungthep Bridge or Rama 3 Bridge, completed in 1999. This year, the Rama 5 bridge was completed in April. North of this, Norconsult has designed and proposed yet another bridge, but it is uncertain whether this will in fact ever be constructed.
Finally, in the South there is the special double bridge project which has just commenced construction to be completed in about three years. The last one is a proposed crossing far North of Bangkok further towards Auytthaya.
The start of the current project goes all the way back to the early 1990's when Norconsult was contracted by the Public Works Department (PWD) to design the complex. Already at that time, Norconsult had partnered in Thailand with their current partners, TEAM, Span and MAA, all civil engineering companies in Thailand with different areas of expertise.
Then there was a re-design of the project in 1997, but before the go ahead order came from PWD, the economic crisis hit Thailand and the project was frozen until in April 2001 the construction could finally get started...
This site also has some other interesting articles: A man who documents old Danish graves in Thailand and the curse of the golden apple snail (its pink clusters of eggs are often seen at water's edge).

More on the big new bridge - October 1, 2002
First the bridge will be 50 meters high to allow for ships coming up the Chao Phraya River to access Bangkok Klong Toey harbour. Next, it will span the Chao Phraya River twice without touching down on the ground in between, because of the meandering flow of the river on its way to the Gulf of Siam. And last, but not least, 50 meters up in mid air, in between the two bridges, an intersection will be built for motorists going North instead of crossing the second of the two bridges!...
Owner of the project is the Public Works Department (PWD). The supervision group comprising Norconsult International and the Thai companies MAA, Span and Team Consulting and management have their contracts directly with the PWD. This is the case with the four contracting companies: - Italian Thai together with Sumitumo, - Cho. Karn Chang together with Obayashi, - Unique together with Kajima, - CMS Construction in a group without foreigners (from "Norconsult megaproject takes shape" by Gregers Moller - The Pamphlet, Volume 6, Number 4, September 2002)

Construction of Industrial Ring Road delayed - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi, Dailynews, August 15, 2002 & Matichon, August 15, 2002
OCMLT and Dept of Civil Works have decided to delay the closure of Petra Pier to August 31, 2002 since the plan to manage traffic in Phra Pradaeng and Poochao Samingphrai is not done yet. Many truck drivers did not know about the pier closure and alternative routes (Bangna, Suksawat and Rama II ramp of the 1st stage expressway).
Petra Co. Ltd. (the owner of ferry pier) told the press that the company has to carry about 5000 heavy trucks across Chao Phraya a day from 10 piers--6 piers on the Phra Pradaeng side and 4 piers on the Poochaoi Saming Phrai side of the river. Rong Lek Ferry pier (AKA Petra Pier at Poochao Saming Phrai) and Hua Ror (Phra Pradaeng side) alone have to carry 1200-1600 heavy trucks a day. Therefore, it may necessary to move the ferry piers to a nearby location to continue the ferry service during the construction of the bridge.

Closing the pier - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi, Thairath & Dailynews, August 12, 2002
Phetra pier is the only public ferry pier in Chaophraya which has to carry about 1,200 heavy trucks and other vehicles a day from Poochao Samingphrai to Phra Padaeng. The other two piers belong to private companies - Tha Rong Lek for Siam Steel and Tha Ajinomoto for Ajinomoto (Thailand). Both piers could carry only light trucks or 4-wheel cars. The Department of Civil Works, traffic polices and other agencies are trying to rearrange traffic to accommodate both construction and truck transportation. They will start working on this traffic regulation on August 14. So far, the Department of Civil Works told the owners of heavy trucks and Poochao Samingphrai Association (an association of truck owners around Poochao Samingphrai and vicinity) to use Rama II Road, the Old Railway Road, Rama III Road, Rama III Bridge (Rama IX Bridge is a toll bridge since it is a part of the 1st stage expressway).

Massive new bridge to start construction! - Bangkok Post, August 11, 2002
The 8.7-billion-baht bridge will open to traffic on Aug 12, 2004. The bridge, 51 metres high and 4.2 kilometres long, will have seven lanes to link Pu Chao Saming Prai road with Rama 3 road. It will be the first cable-stayed bridge in Thailand to include an interchange in the middle of its span. The interchange will connect the bridge with a 2.2-kilometre elevated ramp that will lead to Suksawat road.
No doubt trying to capitalize on the popularity of the striking Rama 8 bridge, this bridge for the Industrial Ring Road was redesigned from four supports to two huge Rama 8-like supports.