The collapse of a launching gantry crane and precast concrete on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon early on Friday morning resulted in the deaths of six construction workers and the injury of nine others. It was a shocking accident on this stretch of road, also known as Highway 35, which is already well known for its high rate of motoring accidents.
Last week's collapse adds to a grim list of statistics linked to the road. According to the Department of Highways (DoH), 2,242 accidents occurred on the highway during 2018-2023, or 373 cases each year. In those six years, 132 people died, and 1,305 people were injured.
Road accidents on this route have been frequent over the past four decades because the government has often upgraded and widened traffic lanes, making it difficult to drive along when such construction work is being done.
The number of serious accidents on the road has increased during the past few years after the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) hired 10 contractors to help build an elevated expressway that runs above the highway. The ongoing construction is over 16km, causing 18 billion baht to be spent.
Rama II Road also has the dubious distinction of experiencing deaths of construction workers before last Friday's accident. In January last year, a construction worker was killed and another badly injured when a crane broke at the site in Bangkok's Bang Khunthian district. Then, in May last year, a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab.
The big question is whether Exat -- a state enterprise under the Ministry of Transport -- has audited these construction sites to discover why there are so many accidents. It should be publically known what materials are being used and what standards are being adhered to. If the public has no confidence in such things, questions can only arise over whether the companies are making profits using substandard materials and low-cost equipment.
Doubts have especially lingered after a technical probe into the fatal accident on May 7 last year revealed that substandard concrete bars and loose safety practices were to blame. Conducted by Exat and the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), investigators found the concrete beams used in some parts of the project were substandard, which reduces their load-bearing capacity. In this accident, a precast concrete beam, three by 10m, fell off a structure, killing one construction worker and damaging eight cars.
Later, Exat vowed to test other precast concrete bars in the project and issue guarantee permits to ensure only qualified materials were used. Until now, Exat has not told the public about the quality of the materials used in the project.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has ordered the contractor at that section in Samut Sakhon to stop working for two weeks. However, the ministry has not said how it will bolster public trust in safety standards on this main highway.
But, one thing is certain -- it is about time for the ministry to send safety auditors to effectively and rigorously supervise the safety of these construction sites.
Moreover, to help deal with such matters, MPs, senators, or even the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission must investigate the bidding process for ongoing construction projects on Rama II Road to determine how the project owner selects and awards concessions to these companies.