Thai – Belgian bridge celebrates 30th anniversary

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The Thai – Belgian Friendship Bridge on the Rama IV Road in Bangkok has a special history. The bridge was once built in Brussels for the World Expo 1958 and served for 25 years until a tunnel connected the two halves of the city. Thanks to the then Belgian ambassador, Belgium presented the bridge to Thailand as a gift to relieve one of the most notorious crossings in Bangkok. After the foundation piles were driven, the bridge was assembled in 24 hours.

In 1986, the then government was diligently seeking a solution to the congested traffic flow on Rama IV Road. Bangkok then had fewer roads and other facilities than it does today. There were only a few highways, such as those from Tha Ruea to Bang Na, Din Daeng and Dao Khanong, while the Ratchadipisek ring road around the center of Bangkok was not yet ready. A solution to the then existing problem on Rama IV was not easy.

Then Belgium was the first foreign country to come to the rescue. In Belgium, numerous iron viaducts at intersections were replaced by tunnels and the Thai government was asked if there was any interest in the metal parts of those viaducts to be used again as viaducts in Thailand. “Those iron bridges in Belgium were constructed in such a way that they could be built quickly, but were also quickly moved. It was a technology to be able to build viaducts in a short period of time,” says Jumpol.

The Thai government accepted the offer and decided to build a viaduct at the intersection of Rama IV and Sathon. In Belgium, people got to work and a viaduct was dismantled, called "Viaduct Leopold". Some repairs had to be made and some parts were reinforced to also handle the weight of a 27-ton truck, but in January 1988 the ship arrived in Thailand with all parts.

In the meantime, the necessary earthwork had been done in Bangkok with the foundation piles for the assembly of the four-lane bridge, which was given the name Thai – Belgian Friendship Bridge. The bridge is not only a symbol of help from the Belgian government, but also a sign of friendship from the Thai officials and business people involved in the project.

For this project, the Electricity Authority of Thailand and the Port Authority of Thailand provided cranes capable of lifting materials weighing between 160 and 200 tons, two other companies, Empire and Sahachot Beton, sent more than 300 technicians and constructors to the project, while the police ensured the smooth running of the work.

Source: Bangkok Post and an article by Gringo about this bridge: www.thailandblog.nl/background/de-belgische-bridge-troubled-roads/