Thailand’ s new Western motorway linking Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi with Kanchanaburi is 83% complete and set for 2024 launch
The construction of a new motorway linking Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi with Kanchanaburi is 83% complete, a government spokesman said, affirming its plan to officially open the highway in 2024 as planned.
The new motorway will unofficially be opened to motorists for a test run around the end of next year before the official opening the following year, Anucha Burapachaisri said.
The 96.4-kilometre Motorway No 81, or M81, will serve as a faster transport route from Bangkok to the West, he said.
“Travelling from Bang Yai to Kanchanaburi will take only about 48 minutes [when the motorway is open] instead of the usual 2.5 hours,” he said.
Motorists can expect improved convenience, flow and safety when travelling along this route, which will also contribute to the development of transport infrastructure and tourism, he said.
The M81 project is part of the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) fast track scheme, initiated in 2016 to speed up crucial investment projects under the Ministry of Transport, he said.
Construction of the motorway is split into 25 contracts, eight of which have been completed, he said.
These eight contracts dealt with the construction of sections of the motorway in Tha Maka and Tha Muang districts of Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Chaisi and Muang districts of Nakhon Pathom, he said. This motorway is designed to have three service stations, one in Nakhon Pathom’s Nakhon Chaisi district, the second in Muang district and the third in Kanchanaburi’s Tha Maka district, he said.
These service areas will include parking lots, toilets, shops, petrol stations, and a rescue centre, which will all be jointly invested in by the government and private partners, he said.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2388548/western-link-set-for-2024-launch
