New Saraburi-Korat bridge a shortcut to Khao Yai

New Saraburi-Korat bridge a shortcut to Khao Yai

Visitors to Khao Yai will no longer need to make a U-turn at Klang Dong in Pak Chong to enter Highway 1016 if they use the new Mittraphap-Phaya Yen bridge. (Photo by the Department of Rural Roads)
Visitors to Khao Yai will no longer need to make a U-turn at Klang Dong in Pak Chong to enter Highway 1016 if they use the new Mittraphap-Phaya Yen bridge. (Photo by the Department of Rural Roads)

A bridge linking Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima with Muak Lek in Saraburi opened for public use on Saturday, easing traffic on Mittraphap Road and serving as a shortcut to the popular Khao Yai National Park.

The Mittraphap-Phaya Yen bridge, named for the two tambons it links, would make it easier for local residents to get around, stimulate the local economy and reduce congestion on Mittraphap Road during weekends and holidays, said Pisak Jitviriyavasin, director-general of the Department of Rural Roads.

The route offers a shortcut to Khao Yai and to Wang Nam Khieo district in Nakhon Ratchasima, making travel faster and more convenient, said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who presided over the opening ceremony in Muak Lek district on Saturday morning.

Tourists wanting to visit Khao Yai will benefit as they will no longer need to make a U-turn at Klang Dong in Pak Chong to enter Highway 1016. The bridge is linked to an alternative road that allows drivers to avoid the steep section between Muak Lek and Pak Chong where traffic moves at a snail’s pace on busy days. 

Using the bridge to reach Highway 1016 would shorten the travel distance to the park, said the minister.

Mr Pisak said the bridge and the road connecting it cost 27.8 million baht. Construction took 360 days and was completed in December.

The traffic surface on the bridge itself is nine metres wide and 60 metres long, with one-metre-wide sidewalks on both sides. The six-metre wide concrete road, with a distance of 853 metres, covers 19.7 metres in tambon Mittraphap in Muak Lek and and 833.3 metres in tambon Phaya Yen in Pak Chong, said Mr Pisak.

Saraburi governor Pundit Theweethiwarak, Nakhon Ratchasima governor Wichian Chantharanorai, executives of the department, representatives from local authorities and residents also attended the opening ceremony.

The Mittraphap-Phaya Yen bridge, named after tambons in Muak Lek and Pak Chong, officially opened on Saturday. (Photo by the Department of Rural Roads)

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith presides over the opening of the Mittraphap-Phaya Yen bridge in Muak Lek district of Saraburi on Saturday. (Photo by the Department of Rural Roads)

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