CHIANG RAI – Authorities have completed the study on the construction of a new road to bypass the central area of the Northern province.
The 46.7km road will cut through nine tambons in four districts including Muang, Wiang Chai, Phan and Mae Lao. It will have four lanes with the middle pitch and drainage system on both sides.
Anake Natkosit, director of the Department of Rural Roads' Chiang Rai office, said the province had been designated a hub for the upper North and a gateway for trade to neighbouring countries.
As part of regional economic development, Chiang Rai is in the networks linking Southern China with Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Its traffic will likely increase substantially in the future.
To ease the anticipated congestion, the department proposed the project to cut time and serve as a new route for both people and goods transportation, said Mr Anake.
The department earlier hosted two public hearings on the environmental impacts of the project. The last one was held Thursday morning.
The blue line on a map shows the new route.