City Hall on Tuesday defended its controversial 1.7-billion-baht pedestrian bridge proposal to link Tha Phra Chan and Wang Lang in Bangkok, saying it was part of its master plan to improve riverside areas along the Chao Phraya River.
Nat Srisukonthanan, the director of City Hall's Public Works Department, said Tuesday the bridge was incorporated into the plan for the second section of riverside communities along the river, stretching from Somdet Phra Pinklao Bridge to Rama III Bridge.
The bridge was designed for pedestrians, cyclists and the disabled.
Bike lanes and facilities for the disabled will be provided.
It was designed so as not to intrude upon local communities, historical sites or local landscapes, Mr Nat said, adding a feasibility study on the potential environmental impact has already been conducted.
City Hall was responding to public criticism of the proposed new Chao Phraya River crossing unveiled last week.
The bridge will connect Tha Phra Chan area in Phra Nakhon district to Siriraj Hospital in the Wang Lang area in Bangkok Noi district.
The government will have to approve plans to actually build the bridge, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Tuesday the plans hadn't reached his desk.
The 9-metre-wide bridge will have two levels with a height of four metres each. Bike lanes and facilities to help disabled people will be built.
Lifts, escalators and golf carts will also be available.
Mr Nat said the bridge will help tourism in Bangkok and address traffic congestion around the hospital.
The bridge will also take about nine minutes off the journey time between Tha Phra Chan to Wang Lang which would also save public transport users money.
Mr Nat said a study on the likely economic returns had been conducted based on local employment, local economic development and tourist spending.
The bridge would also link several infrastructure projects in Bangkok.
They include connecting Rama VIII Bridge to Phran Nok and Phutthamonthon Sai 4 roads; the Chao Phraya River's sky walk and promenade project; and the Light Red and Orange Line electric railways.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on tuesday refused to comment on the controversy, saying the bridge was only a concept that had not been submitted to the government yet.