MRTA seeks approval for Bangkok’s new Orange Line route
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has submitted a letter to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), seeking permission to use its areas for building the western route of the Orange Line, which will connect Bang Khun Non and Min Buri.
Tawatchai Napasaksri, director of the BMA’s Public Works Department, said on Wednesday the MRTA, the concessionaire and builder, discussed the route details of the Orange Line MRT project with the department on Monday.
According to the details, the route will start from Sutthawat Road and continue along Siriraj Road before crossing under the Chao Phraya River.
It will then proceed through Ratchadamnoen Road to end at Esplanade Cineplex Ratchadapisek, where it will connect with the eastern part of the Orange Line. The underground construction will mainly run beneath the roads and pavements.
The project will affect the forest park on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and the area outside City Hall II in Din Daeng, where the construction of exit and entry points will require the removal of some trees and realigning pedestrian overpasses.
Mr Tawatchai said the MRTA will also meet the Drainage and Sewerage Department, the Traffic and Transport Department, and the Environment Department to explain the details before a joint meeting to finalise the land transfer for construction. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed to transfer the land within 120 days from Aug 1, as stipulated in the MRTA’s letter.
Conditions for using the land include that the concessionaire and contractors must maintain the construction sites and minimise adverse impacts on residents during the five-year project. Upon completion, they must restore roads and sidewalks to their original condition. Trees removed must be replanted in the same spots, and the MRTA must monitor the drainage systems to prevent flooding.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2843493/mrta-seeks-approval-for-new-orange-line-route
