100 Million Baht Allocated to Repair Earthquaker Damaged Roads in Chiang Rai

CHIANG RAI -Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipunt said a budget of 100 million baht has been allocated to repair roads in Chiang Rai’s Phan district severely damaged by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake on May 4

Chatchart Sittipunt said the biggest damage occurred at the 151 kilometre mark on  Highway 118, which links Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.

The Highways Department has not closed the route however traffic is being re-directed around the major damage. The department of Highways is still monitoring the continuing aftershocks as more than 1,000 separate tremors have been recorded.

Two pedestrian flyovers have already been declared unsafe and will be demolished immediately, Mr Chatchart said.  Inspectors were closely examining another 218 flyovers within a 50km-radious of the quake’s epicenter.

Mr Chatchart said it was estimated that repairs to the road would  take about two months.

Mr Chatchart said the hundred million baht would come from the department’s annual budget. If it was insufficient  the ministry would have to seek approval from the Election Commission to draw on funds from the government’s contingency fund, the central budget