Instead, it is just the shadow of a heat-sensor wire that runs the length of the tunnel, Phuket Highways Office director Samak Luedwonghad told The Phuket News this afternoon.
“I heard this rumour at 11am today. Please do not panic. It is not a crack. I assure you that the Darasamut Underpass has been built to code,” he said.
Mr Samak undertook an inspection of the underpass early this afternoon to personally show members of the media the heat-sensor wire that was causing concern among the public, especially through repeated posts on social media.
“The heat-sensor will trigger an alarm if the heat in the tunnel gets too hot, and signal for the lanes entering the underpass to close so that traffic does not enter a potentially dangerous situation,” he explained.
“As you can see, the shadow cast on the roof is from the heat-sensor wire, but as the roof is not perfectly smooth, the shadow looks like a long crack,” he added.
Mr Samak urged people to be careful when reposting and sharing reports in social media.
“Please be careful before sharing something about a sensitive issue. It can cause much unnecessary worry,” he said.