Thailand’s Three New Motorway projects await cabinet nod
The Department of Highways will propose three motorway projects worth 43.8 billion baht to the cabinet in the first quarter of this year.
Department chief Sarawut Songsivilai said yesterday the first project will be the 22-kilometre extension of the Uttaraphimuk Elevated Highway, also known as the Don Muang tollway. The project, worth 27.8 billion baht, will be carried out under a public-private partnership model.
Construction will run from 2023 to 2026, and the extension is set to be operational by 2027, he said.
The second project will see upgrades installed along the Bang Khun Thian-Ban Phaeo motorway by 2025. Valued at 12 billion baht, the upgrades will include smart tollgates.
The final project that will be proposed in the first quarter is the construction of rest and service areas on the Bang Lamung and Si Racha expressways, worth about four billion baht.
The head of the Intercity Motorway Division, Thanasak Wongthanakitcharoen, said the department is planning to propose the inclusion of five new intercity motorway projects in the 20-year national development plan, which are estimated to cost about 250 billion baht.
The first project, he said, is the construction of the Bang Khun Thian-Bang Bua Thong and Bang Bua Thong-Bang Pa-in sections of the Eastern Outer Ring Road, which are planned for 2023-2025.
The second is the 22-kilometre extension of the Uttaraphimuk Highway between Rangsit and Bang Pa-in, which is currently being studied. This project is expected to run from 2023-2026, he said.
The third is a planned highway that will link Nakhon Pathom with Cha-am, while the fourth is the highway between Srinagarindra and Suvarnabhumi.
The last project is a 62.6-km highway that will run from Hat Yai to the Malaysian border.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2260367/motorway-projects-await-cabinet-nod
