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Samkong underpass flooding just bad timing

PHUKET: The heavy flooding of the Samkong Underpass early yesterday morning was just bad timing, the new Phuket Highways Office Director Somwang Lohanut told The Phuket News today (Nov 14).

constructionweathertransport
By Shela Riva

Tuesday 14 November 2017, 06:16PM

Heavy rains flooded the underpass because workers are in the middle of replacing the entire drainage system, said new Phuket Highways Office Director Somwang Lohanut. Photo: Peeraphun Kongkhum

The flooding resulted from heavy rains while the drainage and other system are being overhauled, Mr Somwang explained.

“Yesterday morning there was flooding in the Samkong underpass due to heavy rain,” Mr Somwang said.

“Workers went to install water pumps to ensure the flooding lasted no more than 30 minutes,” he added.

“It happened because the company that built the underpass, Vivat Co Ltd*, is in the process of completely overhauling the drainage system, as well as electrical circuits for the lighting, monitoring system and other external parts of the underpass,” Mr Somwang explained.

“They began the day before yesterday (on Sunday, Nov 12). The insurance contract reached the end of its two-year deadline, so they are re-installing everything as a safety measure,” he said.

“The drainage system should be complete during December and will definitely be ready by the new year.

“If it (flooding) happens again this month, the monitoring system can help us spot it and act quickly,” Mr Somwang said.

CORRECTION: The construction company that built the Samkong Underpass was Vivat Co Ltd, not Italian-Thai Development Co as given by Mr Somwang. The error is regretted.

Kurt | 15 November 2017 - 10:36:18

A underpass drainage system suppose to 'hold/ function' normally many, many years.
We say 'normally', but than you have to maintain the drainage system.
And there you are! They are here not 'specialized' in maintenance thinking, see the plastics, slippers, old textile and growing plants( some 2 feet high!)at water release holes in underpasses.
Not removing all this debri...

Mj | 15 November 2017 - 09:00:46

I m quite sure it was NOT Ital-Thai Development who made this underpass. Ital - Thai have made Darasamut Underpass, The one close to big Toyota on Thepkaratsi Road and are now making the underpass at the junction at the Airport.

Rorri_2 | 15 November 2017 - 05:43:36

"“They began the day before yesterday (on Sunday, Nov 12). The insurance contract reached the end of its two-year deadline, so they are re-installing everything as a safety measure,”

Does anyone believe that statement? I mean really, replacing EVERYTHING, never heard of it anywhere else in the world.

Come on PN, please ask a few decent questions.

Discover Thainess | 14 November 2017 - 20:59:38

How can the drainage system require a complete overhaul already? They only just opened the tunnel for goodness sake. So I guess in other words "we made such a shambles of building the underpass we are having to rebuild it now". Makes a change from "brake failure" I suppose.