UPDATE: The northbound lanes past the landslide site reopened to traffic at 12:30pm today (Nov 9).
Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan announced the news after inspecting the site yesterday, confirming that the second of two buildings of an abandoned hotel beside the road had been demolished.
The lanes are expected to reopen at 4:30pm, after Ratsada Municipality cleans the road this morning, he said.
“The demolition has progressed so much that it is no longer a danger to people using the road, therefore we have decided to reopen the road to traffic,” Vice Governor Amnuay said.
The northbound lanes of the bypass road were closed for safety at the site where two landslides struck amid torrential rain mid-last month.
At the top of the steep slope where the landslides occurred were two buildings of an incomplete, abandoned hotel. The owner agreed to have the two buildings demolished for safety.
The work has progressed smoothly, without incident. The contractor will continue to remove construction debris from the area, Vice Governor Amnuay said.
Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew will be present to declare the lanes reopen today, Vice Governor Amnuay noted.
“Because Phuket is now into the tourist season and we therefore need to speed up and open traffic in that area,” he said.