New bridge from Phuket to Phang Nga, Thailand postponed

According to highway officials in Phuket, the opening of the new Srisoonthorn Bridge has been postponed until later in the year.

The new bridge, which will link Phuket to mainland Thailand, was scheduled to open this week.

“Some last-minute changes in the work plan meant that the new span would probably open to off-Island traffic around mid-June,” commented Arun Sa-nae, the director of the Provincial Highways Office in Phuket.

Once Srisoonthorn Bridge finally opens it will be used by traffic heading north from Phuket to Phang Nga on the Thai mainland.

Phuket’s existing Sarasin Bridge, which opened in 1970, will then be used for traffic heading south onto the Island.

“The official opening will occur toward the end of the year. After the ceremony, the bridge will be known as Srisoonthorn Bridge, a name provided to us by the [Thai] Royal Family at our request,” Arun Sa-nae added.

The contract with the bridge’s constructors, Italian-Thai Development, is due to end on June 20th 2011. The new bridge is scheduled to be handed over to the Phuket Provincial Highways Office on that date.

However, the exact date for the bridge’s officially opening remains a mystery.

Rebecca Smith

Phuket Ocean Villas

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