BANGKOK, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The government is studying whether cement columns left by an uncompleted highway project can be used to build a new mass rapid transit line in the Thai capital, according to a public hearing held on Wednesday.
Along Prasoet Manukit Road, or commonly known as Kaset-Nawamin Road, in northern Bangkok, bare cement columns have been standing there for nearly 20 years as a previous highway project was postponed due to the change of government.
The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning under Ministry of Transport, is studying how to use these columns and they have put forward four methods of developing them, including building the 21-km Brown Line solely, building a highway solely and building both the Brown Line and the highway on the road.
"I am so glad that you finally put forward a plan for these columns which I see everyday," an elder woman said, asking the government to implement the Brown Line plan as soon as possible so she can "use the new metro line in her lifetime."
"We need to build more metro lines to solve our traffic problems here and everything is still in the studying process," Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told media during the hearing.
"Brown Line, along with planned Gold Line and Grey Line are shorter than those main lines such as Blue Line, Purple Line and Orange Line," Arkhom said. "And these lines are complementary to main lines and they will be included in the second Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, which is still under studying."
According to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, they will finish studying the project and its impact on environment as well as its design step by step before June 2018.
