Thailand’s Roads Department is rushing to build Motorway M81 between Bang Yai in Nonthaburi province and Kanchanaburi province before January 2024.
Sarawut Songsivilai, the department’s director-general, stated that 14 parts of the 25-section, 96km motorway are complete, covering a distance of 70km.
After all 25 parts are completed, which is due in January 2024, it will be open for a three-month free trial run, he said, adding that the full project, worth around 56 billion baht, is slated to open formally for service in January 2025.
According to Sarawut, the highway will be an essential logistics route as well as a commerce gateway for Thailand’s western area.
Thanasak Wongtanakitcharoen, director of the Inter-City Motorway Division, stated that traffic management on the highway and the installation of a toll collection system will be done through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the private sector partner chosen for investment in and management of the highway and eight toll gates, with a total investment of 27.8 billion baht.
In terms of the development and maintenance of three rest places, he stated that a private business will be chosen to conduct the infrastructure construction, which is projected to cost around 6.4 billion baht, as well as the management of the areas for a period of 30 years.
A bid for the rest area project is expected by the end of this year, with construction taking approximately two years.
The highway has 4-6 traffic lanes and connects the western ring road (Kanchanapisek Road) in Nonthaburi province’s Bang Yai district with Highway 324, which runs between Kanchanaburi and Phanom Thuan district, passing through Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Kanchanaburi provinces.
