Deputy Governor of Bangkok Chakkaphan Phiew-ngam recently visited the site of the construction of a new tunnel on Phatthanakan Road, which is being dug to help cope with rising traffic in the eastern side of the city.

The new tunnel, which will be 1.25 kilometers long, has been designed to be 10.8 meters wide and contain two lanes.

The project was initially scheduled to be completed on next April but Chakkaphan said that the construction is two per cent behind schedule, due to the removal and restoration of utility systems underground as well as the expansion of the existing road surface that results in narrower footpaths.