Phra Pok Klao Bridge (, , ) is a bridge crossing the

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River 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. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

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 estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. It serves to connect the two sides of the Chao Phraya River in the Bangkok area, namely Phra Nakhon District's Wang Burapha Phirom and

Samphanthawong District Samphanthawong (, )) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district by area in Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Pom Prap Sattru ...

's Chakkrawat with Khlong San District's Somdet Chao Phraya as well as

Thonburi District Thon Buri (, ) is one of the List of districts of Bangkok, 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. On the west bank of Chao Phraya River, it was once part of Thonburi, Thon Buri province. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Ban ...

's Wat Kanlaya.

History

Phra Pok Klao Bridge was built in 1982 on the 200th anniversary of Rattanakosin or Bangkok nowadays. The bridge was designed to alleviate traffic congestion on the adjacent Memorial Bridge. The bridge is composed of three

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

s, with the central viaduct designed to carry future mass transit links. The bridge was named after King

Prajadhipok Prajadhipok (8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941) was the seventh king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VII. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and social changes during the 1932 Siamese revolution. He i ...

(Rama VII) since he was the builder of the nearby Memorial Bridge. In June 2020, the central viaduct that used to be the structure of the failed

Lavalin Skytrain Lavalin Skytrain () is a cancelled rapid transit in Bangkok, planned since 1984 during Prem Tinsulanonda reign as prime minister. It was to have been operated by Lavalin (SNC-Lavalin), a Canadian firm, which built the Skytrain system in Vancouver, ...

project was converted into a

sky park The Sydney FC Centre Of Excellence colloquially known as Sky Park is the training and administrative headquarters of professional Soccer in Australia, Australian association football, soccer club Sydney FC, located in the sporting precinct of Ma ...

, the first sky park in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

References

External links

Pokklao Bridge
Bureau of Maintenance and Traffic Safety, Thailand (link broken). Road bridges in Bangkok Bridges completed in 1984 Crossings of the Chao Phraya River {{Thailand-bridge-struct-stub