Caretaker Transport Minister Suriya Juengrungreangkit has set a deadline for three ongoing construction projects on Rama II Road to be fully launched by June next year.
Mr Suriya on Wednesday told the media that currently there are three ongoing construction projects on Highway 35, more commonly known as Rama II Road, which links Bangkok to provinces in the South.
They are the Rama III-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Expressway project, the Bang Khunthian-Ekkachai road construction project, and the Ekkachai-Ban Phaeo motorway section.
The Rama III-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Expressway project is supervised by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat). It is 80% complete and is expected to open in June next year.
Construction of the Thotsamarachan Bridge, which runs parallel to the Rama IX Bridge, is already complete and is expected to open later this year.
The bridge and adjacent road construction are divided into three building contracts, the first now 70% complete, the second 89% complete and the third 76% complete.
Next, the 8.3-kilometre elevated road project on Highway 35 (Bang Khunthian-Ekkachai), supervised by the Department of Highways (DoH), is scheduled to be completed by November.
The road is split into three sections, with the first now 96% complete, the second 93% complete, and the third 96% complete.
A trial opening of a 4-km section of the elevated road will be launched between Phanthai Norasing and Mahachai tolls. The opening is planned towards the end of this year.
Finally, Motorway No 82, covering a 16.3-km stretch from Ekkachai to Ban Phaeo, is set to be completed by June next year, with the entire route expected to be fully operational by 2027. Construction progress of the 10 sections of the motorway ranges from 35% complete to 82% complete, said the minister, confirming that all projects are on track to be finished by June next year.
The ministry has instructed both Exat and the DoH to provide him with a monthly update on the construction and adhere strictly to safety standards to avoid any accidents during construction. Upon completion, the various projects are expected to significantly improve travel convenience and vehicle flow on Rama II Road.
Suriya: Projects to be launched by June