230 highways remain closed and no easing in sight
At least 230 interprovincial and rural roads - most of them in Northern provinces and the central plains - have become impassable because of flooding, according to senior highway officials.
Sixty-seven of them are highways in 14 provinces, including Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Lop Buri, Chai Nat, Saraburi, and Suphan Buri, Department of Highways acting directorgeneral Wanchai Phaklak said yesterday.
Floods have left 163 rural roads impassable and damaged 595 others although they are still passable, according to Department of Rural Roads acting directorgeneral Chartchai Thipsunawi. He said an estimated Bt5.4 billion in damage had been caused to the rural roads.
Meanwhile, a Phaholyothin Road section that links Ayutthaya and Saraburi was closed to traffic yesterday because of flooding on the road surface.
The Highway Police began closing the road in the morning for both inbound and outbound traffic and will allow only large cargo trucks or vehicles carrying relief items to flood victims, said Pol MajGeneral Noraboon Naenna, commander of the Highway Police.
The closed section covered Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district and Saraburi's Hin Kong elevated road. Phaholyothin links the Central region to the Northeast and the North.
Noraboon said parts of the closed section were flooded, with the water levels between 60 and 100 centimetres, causing severe traffic congestion for several hours before it was closed to traffic yesterday. He advised motorists to use bypasses and nearby roads, such as the Bangkok Motorway, RangsitNakhon Nayok Road, and Taling ChanSuphan Buri Road.
A motorist said that on Wednesday night her car was stuck in severe congestion for more than six hours as she was leaving Wang Noi.
In floodhit Nakhon Sawan, which connects the Central region to the North, the situation was still critical and its nine major interprovincial highways remained impassable for the third week, said Narin Suwanthana, a senior Highways Department official in the province. He said flooding also left Nakhon Sawan's 24 rural roads impassable.
He expects flooding on the roads to remain for at least a month, as it will take time for waters to recede.
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