Thailand's small bridges, roads to be redesigned to cope with strong quakes

BANGKOK, May 14 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Transport has ordered the revision of small bridge and road designs to cope with strong earthquakes. Caretaker Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt laid down the policy during his meeting with executives of the Department of Highways and the Department of Rural Roads in Bangkok on Wednesday, aimed to mainly discuss solutions for northern Thai provinces affected by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Chiang Rai Province on May 5, which has been reportedly followed by over 800 aftershocks so far. Chadchart affirmed that the powerful quake has had no impacts on large bridges, but having affected only small bridges which are 10-15 meters long because they were not designed to withstand strong quakes. Chadchart told journalists, after the meeting, that he has ordered the two departments to improve small bridge designs within six months and to also redesign their roads to prevent the subsidence of roadside embankments in earthquakes within the same timeframe, as the subsidence after the May 5 quake has caused great damage to Highway 118 in Chiang Rai. According to the caretaker transport minister, last week's 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Chiang Rai caused small cracks on 218 bridges in the Thai North, but their structures have remained intact. The caretaker transport minister assessed that the repair of the damaged bridges should cost about 100 million baht. (TNA)