Mr. Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn, Director of the Office of Expressway and Rapid Transit System, revealed the progress of the expressway (motorway) projects that will be constructed with the budget for 2021. There are three projects prioritized for development out of a total of six, which include: 1. The motorway from Nakhon Pathom to Cha-am, covering a distance of 119 km with a budget of 79,006 million baht; 2. The motorway from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaew, covering a distance of 15 km with a budget of 32,210 million baht; and 3. The extension of the elevated Utharaphi Mukh road from Rangsit to Bang Pa-in (M5), covering a distance of 18 km with an investment budget of 28,360 million baht. The total value of these three projects amounts to 139,576 million baht, with contracts expected to be signed in 2021.

The Nakhon Pathom to Cha-am motorway project has passed the consideration stages of the Ministry of Transport and the Public-Private Partnership Policy Committee since 2017. The project will be a public-private partnership (PPP) where private entities will be granted concessions to invest in the installation of systems and toll collection. Currently, the investment model is under review before being submitted for Cabinet approval. The Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaew project will connect to the Bang Khun Thian motorway, covering a distance of 10 km, which is the first phase previously constructed by the Department of Highways. The Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaew section will allow private investment for construction and toll collection, and the investment model is currently being studied under the PPP framework. The extension of the elevated Utharaphi Mukh road from Rangsit to Bang Pa-in is also in the process of studying the PPP investment model.

Additionally, according to the new operational plan, there are three more investment projects planned: 4. The motorway from Hat Yai to the Thailand-Malaysia border, covering a distance of 36.59 km. This project is currently studying the PPP investment model but faces connectivity issues at the border area near Sadao 2, where the Thai side has completed the checkpoint, but is awaiting readiness from Malaysia; 5. The outer ring motorway around Bangkok (M9) from Bang Khun Thian to Bang Khae and Bang Bua Thong, covering a distance of 37 km, and from Bang Bua Thong to Bang Pa-in, for which the Department of Highways has already prepared by expanding the parallel roads to three lanes on each side. This will be a ground-level motorway running along the median; and 6. The Srinakarin to Suvarnabhumi route, covering a distance of 18.5 km, which will be an elevated route. This route will separate users traveling to Suvarnabhumi Airport from those heading to Chonburi.

Mr. Piyapong further stated that the motorway project from Pattaya to Map Ta Phut, covering a distance of 32 km, is 99% complete and is currently undergoing project acceptance testing. There are plans to open it for free trial use in May 2020 for four-wheeled vehicles only. Even during the free trial, users will only be able to enter and exit at the start and end points, with no access allowed in between. In August 2020, it will officially open for service with toll collection. The Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaew motorway, covering a distance of 10 km, is in the process of expedited construction this year.

SOURCE : www.thaipost.net