A fact-finding committee investigating why a beam on a U-turn bridge on Rama II highway collapsed and fell onto three passing vehicles on the night of July 31, killing two people and injuring two others, has concluded its investigation into the cause of the incident.
The primary cause was found to be a missing reinforcement which is believed to have been removed when the top concrete slab of the bridge was dismantled previously for in-depth repairs, Pisak Jitviriyavasin, the deputy permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, said yesterday.
This missing piece is believed to have caused the outermost structure to become distorted and weakened the support, he said, citing a preliminary report by the committee.
The irregularities seen in the beam were unlikely to be linked to a fire caused by an accident involving a petrol tanker that occurred on the bridge on June 19, 2004, as was previously speculated, Mr Pisak said.
Regarding repairs, the Department of Highways expects to finish redesigning the bridge by the end of next month with construction slated to start in October after a public hearing and conclude in December, he added.
Before the bridge is officially reopened, the department and the Engineering Institute of Thailand will run joint tests until they are certain it meets the safest engineering standards, he said.
Mr Pisak said he had ordered the committee to compile its findings and submit a formal report to the transport minister as soon as possible, along with an action plan.
As for the compensation plan for affected parties, the Department of Highways has been instructed to speed up the payment of damages.