The Bhumibol Bridge ( th, สะพานภูมิพล), also known as the Industrial Ring Road Bridge ( th, สะพานวงแหวนอุตสาหกรรม) is part of the 13 km long Industrial Ring Road connecting southern
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in 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 estimated populati ...
with
Samut Prakan province. The bridge crosses the
Chao Phraya River twice, with two striking
cable-stayed
A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern ...
spans of lengths of 702 m and 582 m supported by two diamond-shaped pylons 173 m and 164 m high. Where the two spans meet, another road rises to join them at a free-flowing interchange suspended 50 metres above the ground.
The bridge opened for traffic on 20 September 2006, before the official opening date of 5 December 2006. It is part of the Bangkok Industrial Ring Road, a royal scheme initiated by King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
that aimed to solve traffic problems within Bangkok and surrounding areas, especially the industrial area around
Khlong Toei Port, southern Bangkok, and Samut Prakan province.
According to tradition, all bridges over the Chao Phraya in Bangkok are named after a member of the royal family. In October 2009, it was announced that both bridges would be named after King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
, with the northern bridge officially named "Bhumibol 1 Bridge" and the southern bridge "Bhumibol 2 Bridge". The unofficial name "Mega Bridge" was also widely used.
The bridge was featured on the
Discovery Channel.
Even though the bridges are the fastest way to drive from
Phra Pradaeng district
Phra Pradaeng ( th, พระประแดง, ) is a district (''amphoe'') of Samut Prakan province in Thailand.
History
Phra Pradeang was the original center of the area south of Bangkok near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. Originally na ...
, Samut Prakan Province to Bangkok, motorcycles were banned from using the two Bhumibol bridges from 1 November 2018 due to safety concerns.
Structure
* Bhumibol Bridge 1 is the northern bridge connecting
Yan Nawa District, Bangkok and Phra Pradaeng District.
It is a cable-stayed bridge with seven lanes together with two high pillars. The structure is reinforced concrete 50 m above water level.
* Bhumibol Bridge 2 is the southern bridge. The structure is almost the same as Bhumibol Bridge 1, with seven lanes and two high pillars and built using reinforced concrete 50 m above the level of the river.
Gallery
See also
*
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
References
External links
Map*
*
{{Chao Phraya River bridges
Cable-stayed bridges in Thailand
Road bridges in Bangkok
Bridges completed in 2006
Crossings of the Chao Phraya River
Yan Nawa district