The Somdet Phra Pinklao Bridge ( th, สะพานสมเด็จพระปิ่นเกล้า, , ) 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 ...

near the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

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 ...

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 ...

. It links

Rattanakosin Island Rattanakosin Island ( th, เกาะรัตนโกสินทร์, , ) is a historic area in the Phra Nakhon District in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River to the west and various canals to the east t ...

with

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ...

Background

The bridge is named after

Pinklao Pinklao ( th, ปิ่นเกล้า) (September 4, 1808 – January 7, 1866) was the viceroy of Siam. He was the younger brother of Mongkut, King Rama IV, who crowned him as a monarch with equal honor to himself. Early life Prince Chutaman ...

, vice-king of Siam, 1851–1866. In the project phase, the bridge was referred to as the Tha Chang Wang Na Bridge (

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

: สะพานท่าช้างวังหน้า). In June 1973, it was renamed the Somdej Phra Pinklao Bridge in honour of Prince

.Special supplement of the Bangkok Post/World newspaper - September 24, 1973 The

Chalerm Sawan 58 Bridge The Chaloem Sawan 58 Bridge ( Thai: สะพานเฉลิมสวรรค์ ๕๘) was a bridge crossing the northern end of Khlong Khu Mueang Doem ( th, คลองคูเมืองเดิม)), or old moat, in Phra Na ...

(

: สะพานเฉลิมสวรรค์ ๕๘) along two pedestrian bridges crossing the northern part of Khlong Khu Mueang Doem (

: คลองคูเมืองเดิม) had to be dismantled to make way for the new bridge and its access road. Construction of the bridge started on 4 August 1971. It was opened to traffic on 24 September 1973 by Prime Minister

Thanom Kittikachorn Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( th, ถนอม กิตติขจร, ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004) was the leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973, during which he staged a self-coup, until public protests which exploded into viole ...

. The bridge was built by the joint company

Obayashi Obayashi may refer to: *Obayashi Corporation, one of five major Japanese construction companies * Obayashi (surname), a Japanese surname *Obayashi Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Takarazuka Hyōgo Prefecture, ...

Gumi Ltd. and

Sumitomo The is one of the largest Japanese ''keiretsu'', or business groups, founded by Masatomo Sumitomo (1585-1652) around 1615 during the early Edo period. History The Sumitomo Group traces its roots to a bookshop in Kyoto founded circa 1615 by Masa ...

Construction Co. Ltd under the supervision of Swiss Engineering Project (SEP) which acted as trustee for th
Department of Public and Municipal Works
(DPMW).Special supplement of The Nation newspaper - September 24, 1973, p. 12. The main drivers behind the construction of the bridge were: * To alleviate the traffic congestion over and around the Memorial Bridge and to shorten travel time and cut costs * To foster inter-city relations between

and

* To facilitate the development in the vicinity of the bridge The Sa-nga Phanit Co., Ltd. (

: บริษัท สง่าพานิช จำกัด) was the main contractor for the

Phan Phiphop Lila Bridge Phan Phiphop Lila Bridge ( th, สะพานผ่านพิภพลีลา, , ; 'King's Cross Bridge') is a bridge across Khlong Khu Mueang Doem (), or old moat, in Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok. The bridge connects Thanon Ratchadamnoen ...

(

: สะพานผ่านพิภพลีลา) extension over

Khlong Khu Mueang Doem Rattanakosin Island ( th, เกาะรัตนโกสินทร์, , ) is a historic area in the Phra Nakhon District in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River to the west and various canals to the east t ...

(

: คลองคูเมืองเดิม) to match the new bridge system at a cost of 6,880,000 baht. It is feared that the heavy traffic crossing Pinklao Bridge could cause structural damage to the old buildings on

Ratchadamnoen Avenue Ratchadamnoen Avenue ( th, ถนนราชดำเนิน, , , also spelled Rajdamnern) is a historic road in the Phra Nakhon and Dusit Districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Ratchadamnoen Avenue may be the most politically charged thoroughfare ...

. Some residents expressed their desire in 2010 to have the bridge dismantled mainly due to the air and noise pollution it brings to the old district of Bangkok. The

Cheonggyecheon Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...

project in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

is given as an example of the positive effects the dismantlement could have.

Notes

The northern part of "Khlong Khu Mueang Doem" was formerly known as "Khlong Rongmai" (). "Khlong Khu Mueang Doem" is also called popularly "Khlong Lord" ().

References

External links

*
YouTube video of the construction of the Phra Pinklao Bridge circa 1972
Road bridges in Bangkok Bridges completed in 1973 Crossings of the Chao Phraya River Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok {{Thailand-bridge-struct-stub