PHUKET -- Heavy downpours overnight brought traffic to a standstill at the Sam Kong Underpass construction site Friday morning after a large section of road collapsed.
The Phuket News reported that the rift in the road alongside the underpass tunnel measured 30 metres long, one metre wide and 1.5m deep. A smaller section alongside Yaowarat Raod, near the entrance to the Tesco Lotus shopping centre, also subsided.
Traffic police were forced to direct motorists away from the danger zone, with smaller vehicles mainly diverted through Phuket Town. By 3.30am, Phuket police warned bus and truck drivers to avoid the area entirely.
Traffic was allowed to resume driving past the underpass tunnel rift this morning, though safety barriers have been placed to keep vehicles away from damaged section of road.
The heavy rains also affected Pra Phuket Kaew Road, on the west side of the junction, with floodwaters reaching knee deep by 6.30pm. Many motorists were left stranded while big and small vehicles moved slowly through the area amid heavy rain.
The rift in the Sam Kong Underpass measured 30 metres long, one metre wide and 1.5m deep.
Some people in the area waited after 9pm for the rain to stop to leave offices or home.
Phuket governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada and Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Phuket provincial police commander, inspected the site Friday.
The underpass construction has already suffered a slew of setbacks, resulting in contractor Vivat Construction Co being granted repeated extended deadlines for completing the project, with the final deadline passing on January 22.
Vivat now faces fines of 2 million baht a day for failing to complete the project on time.
Heavy criticism resulting in an inspection visit by the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday, just hours before the deluges cracked the surrounding roads. Vivat project engineer Jirawut Thaenkum told The Phuket News that the floods last night presented yet another setback.
"The heavy rains yesterday means we have a lot of water to pump out from the site," he said. "Water at the site does not naturally drain well, as the flooding has been compounded by water came from the Kathu area and Bang Yai canal."
Areas in Kathu also suffered flooding. (Phuket News photo)