Highway 340 expected to reopen today

Rama II Road may not be flooded 'right away'

The flooded Highway 340 is expected to reopen today for use as an alternative route to the south in case the deluge cuts off Rama II Road, Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat says.

ACM Sukumpol yesterday said authorities would start draining floodwater from two sections of the highway where the floodwater was deepest.

This would take about four to five hours since the deepest area is only 45cm under water.

After pumping water from the road, the flooding on the highway from Taling Chan to Suphan Buri should improve and southbound traffic would be able to resume today, he said.

ACM Sukumpol said it was possible water could reach Rama II Road soon but that did not mean the road would be flooded right away as it depended on the direction of the water flow.

He said authorities have already removed debris along a 30km section of Rama II Road and asked the army to help clear five canals along the road to facilitate water flow.

As for flood prevention on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, ACM Sukumpol said authorities would install sand barriers on the road near the Din Daeng expressway entrance to prevent the deluge from advancing to the inner part of the city.

The minister said the government had called off a plan to create a 3km big bag barrier in the Taling Chan area in the western part of Bangkok for fear the barrier would cause floodwater to flow into Khlong Bangkok Noi, creating problems for surrounding areas, especially Siriraj Hospital.

Meanwhile, City Hall yesterday declared more communities in Bang Bon, Chom Thong and Bangkok Noi district as flood evacuation areas.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced the evacuation of people living in certain communities in Bang Khun Si, Bang Khun Non, and Arun Amarin sub-districts of Bangkok Noi district.

Evacuations were also announced for a number of communities in Bang Bon sub-district of Bang Bon district as well as more in Bang Khunthian and Bang Kho sub-districts of Chom Thong district.

The flood drainage efforts had not been as successful as expected in the western districts of Bangkok, namely Chom Thong, Bang Bon, Bang Khunthian, Thon Buri and Rat Burana, Chom Thong district councillor Suthichai Wirakulsunthon said.

He was speaking after chairing a meeting on updates on the flood situation in the five districts.

Up to 30 million cubic metres of floodwater was entering the districts every day but only about 20 million cu/m was being successfully drained.

As for the flood situation in eastern Bangkok where at least two main industrial estates _ Bangchan and Lat Krabang industrial estates _ are located, Anond Snidvongs, an academic on the Flood Relief Operation Command's water-draining committee, said the overall situation there was expected to begin improving in about a week.

The projection was made on the basis there would not be another massive amount of northern runoff coming into the capital, Mr Anond said.

BMA spokesman Wasan Meewong said floodwater levels in Nong Chok, Min Buri, and Lat Phrao districts fell by between 1-4cm yesterday due to round-the-clock draining of water.

Floodwaters also receded gradually in Khlong Bang Sue where a large number of water pumps have operated around the clock.

This canal is one of the main routes being used to empty floodwaters in inner Bangkok into the Chao Phraya River.