Nonthaburi’s Stairway to heaven

Construction News
Peter Carlisle
Mysterious footbridge with power pole built into it went viral around world & nicknamed "Stairway to heaven"
Mysterious footbridge with power pole built into it went viral around world & nicknamed “Stairway to heaven”

After going viral around world & causing great embarrassment, power pole quickly removed from footbridge.

An electricity pole rising up through the stairway of a new pedestrian bridge quickly went viral on social media.

After going viral and causing great embarrassment, the power pole was quickly removed from the footbridge on Monday.

“Couldn’t someone get electrocuted?,” several netizens wondered.

“Which came first, the bridge or the pole?,” others asked in curiousity.

“Why would anyone do something like that?.” yet others asked not quite believing what they saw.

Nonthaburi governor Nisit Chanthasomwong personally ordered the power pole to be removed immediately after nearby residents filed a complaint.

Metropolitan Electricity Authority workers on Monday remove the annoying pole that partially blocked the stairway, built around it, on this new pedestrian overpass in Muang district of Nonthaburi.
Metropolitan Electricity Authority workers on Monday remove the annoying pole that partially blocked the stairway, built around it, on this new pedestrian overpass in Muang district of Nonthaburi.

POWER POLE RELOCATION

The pole was located in front of Thananan housing estate on Ratchaphruek Road in Nonthaburi.

The pole was relocated away from the stairway and the high voltage power line along with it.

The work would be completed by Tuesday, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) said on its Twitter account and apologised for what happened.

The location of the utility pole, which blocked the stairs, sparked heated comments about the construction of the footbridge (pedestrian walkway, pedestrian bridge).

ASKED TO RELOCATE POWER POLE ONE YEAR AGO

The footbridge was built for the Rural Highways Department, to make it safer for people to cross the main road.

Manus Singsanga, the rural highways provincial office chief, said the MEA had been asked in July last year to relocate the pole so the department could build the footbridge.

The stairs for this new pedestrian bridge were built around this annoying power pole.
The stairs for this new pedestrian bridge were built around this annoying power pole.

CONSTRUCTION HAD TO BE STARTED OR WOULD BE FINED

The firm contracted to build the bridge said that they could not delay construction any longer because it could be fined for not finishing the job on time –  so they decided to build the stairway straight through the pole.

The construction firm was reported to be Sitthiruek Civil Engineering Co and the bridge cost 4.2 million baht.

 
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1008985/pesky-power-pole-removed-from-pedestrian-stairs