The President of the Engineering Institute revealed progress on removing the "collapsed crane on Rama 2 Road" and expects that within 14 days the traffic area will be restored to normal.
At 3:00 p.m. on 17 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Assoc. Prof. Anek Siriphanichakorn, President of the Engineering Institute of Thailand under Royal Patronage, inspected the crane collapse site on Rama 2 outbound, Tha Chin Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province. He was welcomed by Piyapong Chiwattanakulpaisan, Director-General of the Department of Highways, along with members of the Senate, representatives from the Department of Highways and the Ministry of Transport, and representatives from Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited. They briefed the Engineering Institute President on progress toward restoring the Rama 2 Road traffic surface within 14 days and plans to regain or build confidence for Rama 2 road users.
Assoc. Prof. Anek Siriphanichakorn said that after the crane collapse, they used forensic methods including drone flights to gather complete details. Only the removal remains, and if that is completed within 14 days, normal traffic can resume.
He emphasized that once traffic reopens, public confidence is very important. Such structures have been built since the second expressway era about 20 to 30 years ago. Therefore, building expressways is necessary, but safety is even more crucial.
Because the components are very heavy, they currently have four volumes of standards for elevated road construction. Next week, the Department of Rail will publish these standards on their website for the public and practitioners to use, which is an urgent task. Additionally, engineers and related personnel must be trained to understand these standards.
A very good standard is in the first contract phase, involving equipment to monitor the structural health. While the equipment operates without road components or other parts, it measures tilt, misalignment, potential collapse, or excessive forces. All scientific methods and mechanisms will be used for this important scientific inspection.
He also apologized to the public for the inconvenience caused by the damage affecting everyone’s travel. However, the damage is something to always remember and not to become complacent about. He invited media representatives to come forward with any questions for open discussion.