Highway projects on the fast-tack to cater to EEC

Highways 746 kilometres in length will be completed by 2023 to support the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the Department of Highways (DOH) has said.

There is also a plan to expand the main road into four traffic lanes (Phase 2), with a total distance of 5,246km -- 483km, or 9.2 per cent, are under construction; 4,239km, or 80.8 per cent, have been completed; and 524km are planned for the future.

Recently, the DOH started expanding Highway No. 315, Phanat Nikhom- Chachoengsao district, Section 1 and Section 2 in the Phanat Nikhom district of Chonburi province from two to four traffic lanes. With a total budget of around Bt630 million, it aims to increase efficiency in transportation of goods in the eastern region to be convenient, fast, and safe, supporting national economic growth and the EEC areas.

Highway No. 315 (Phanat Nikhom-Chachoengsao), was originally a two-lane road with a significant increase in traffic volume since it is a route that can connect the transportation of goods from industrial estates and the transport of agricultural products between Chon Buri and Chachoengsao provinces as well as connecting to Highway No. 7 network (Bangkok-Chonburi-Pattaya)

Aside from the highway development project and expanding the main road with four traffic lanes, DOH plans to invest in the construction of a special highway between the cities to increase the potential of connecting to travel in the EEC area, such as Motorway No. 7 Pattaya-Map Ta Phut, distance of of 32km, at a cost of Bt20 billion. It is now open for service and scheduled to officially open in September.

Also, there are five projects under study, with a total budget of more than Bt116 billion:

▪︎Motorway M61 Chon Buri-Nakhon Ratchasima (Laem Chabang-Prachinburi TorLor 359), a distance of 117km with a budget of Bt28 billion;
▪︎M61 Motorway -- Chon Buri-Nakhon Ratchasima route (Prachin Buri, Tor 359 - Nakhon Ratchasima Mw.6), 171km, budget of Bt37 billion;
▪︎M72 Motorway -- Chon Buri-Trat (Chon Buri-Klaeng), 94km; budget of Bt22 billion;
▪︎M72 Motorway -- Chon Buri-Trat (Klaeng-Trat), 116km, budget of Bt27.4 billion
▪︎Motorway to Ban Gao area, 116km, budget of Bt2.5 billion.