Expansion plans for the Saphan Taksin skytrain station and the area it occupies on Taksin Bridge could be complete by 2021 or 2022, Department of Rural Roads (DRR) chief Pisak Jitviriyavasin says.
However, he insisted expansions of the bridge, also known as Sathorn Bridge, will be complete before expansions of the BTS station, to decrease congestion on the bridge.
According to Transport Ministry reports, the plans will involve constructing 1.8-metre-wide road extensions on each side of Taksin Bridge, stretching an estimated 230 metres along the area currently bottlenecked by the BTS station.
Expansions of the Saphan Taksin BTS station will involve constructing another platform for it to support two trains. At present, the station only has one platform, where trains travelling towards both of the BTS Silom Line's terminuses at National Stadium and Bang Wa stations have to switch tracks before entering the station.
Transport Ministry reports last year said the station's expansion plans could be complete by as early as December 2019. However, authorities at a ministry conference Thursday said it would take marginally longer.
Permanent secretary for transport Chartchai Tipsunave, who chaired the meeting, said structural integrity testing for the bridge began earlier this month. Testing will be complete by month-end, he added.
He said designs for the expansions made by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are currently 40% finished. They will be submitted to the DRR for review in early March.
Mr Chartchai said the final designs which will be used for auctioning will be complete by the end of March.
According to DRR reports, tenders for the expansions would take about two months to complete, with construction ideally beginning in May. Construction will take about 30 months, with 21 months being allotted to the Taksin Bridge extensions. Expansions of the BTS station are expected to take nine months to finish.
Taksin Bridge is notorious as one of the most congested bridges in Bangkok, with traffic worsening greatly during rush hours. The bridge links the Sathorn area to the Thon Buri side of the capital.
"A main concern during the expansions will be how to decrease congestion on the bridge," Mr Chartchai said. "This is why the bridge extensions will have to be complete before the skytrain station.
"Authorities will have to efficiently coordinate traffic and offer proper road diversions during this period."
Mr Chartchai also said development plans for Sathorn Pier, located under Taksin Bridge, will also be made in the future, with roofs to be built over decks.
Transport authorities are also discussing how the skytrain station will be able to offer commuting services during its expansions.