Krung Thon Bridge ( th, สะพานกรุงธน, , ) is a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

over the

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

, in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, connecting the districts Dusit and

Bang Phlat Bang Phlat ( th, บางพลัด, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighboring districts, clockwise from the north, are Bang Kruai district, Bang Sue, Dusit, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok Noi, and Taling Chan. H ...

. The bridge has 6 spans, and consists of a

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

superstructure resting on concrete

pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...

History

Construction on the bridge began on August 31, 1954, by the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese company Fuji Car Manufacturing Co., Ltd., with Sahawitsawa Kan Yotha Co., Ltd. as its local representative. A

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over time ...

ceremony was held on June 24, 1955. Construction was completed in late 1957, and the bridge was first opened to traffic on March 7, 1958. It was constructed to relieve traffic on Memorial Bridge, and cost 24,837,500

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...

. Krung Thong Bridge has been known to locals as Sang Hi Bridge ( th, สะพานซังฮี้, ''Saphan Sang Hi'') since construction began, before it was officially christened, because it extends from

Ratchawithi Road Bang Phlat Intersection where Ratchawithi Road ends Ratchawithi Road, also spelled Rajvithi ( th, ถนนราชวิถี, ) is a major road in Bangkok, Thailand. It begins in Ratchathewi district at Sam Liam Din Daeng Junction, where it i ...

, formerly named Sang Hi Road.

Dimensions

The length of the bridge alone is 366.20 metres, with a 185.50 metre approach on the east side of the river, and a 97.20 metre approach on the west, for a total length of 648.90 metres. At its central point, the bridge is 7.5 metres above

mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...

. The bridge has four lanes for motor vehicle traffic, two in each direction, with no divider. Pedestrian paths 2.5 metres wide run along either side of the bridge.

Gallery

File:Krung Thon Bridge สะพานกรุงธน (ซังฮี้) by Trisorn Triboon3.jpg File:KrungThon.jpg File:สะพานกรุงธนบุรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพมหานคร (2).jpg File:สะพานกรุงธนบุรี เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพมหานคร (4).jpg

External links

Krung Thon Bridge
Bureau of Maintenance and Traffic Safety, Thailand. Retrieved on 31 December 2007 Road bridges in Bangkok Bridges completed in 1958 Crossings of the Chao Phraya River Dusit district Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok {{Thailand-bridge-struct-stub