Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk said that the authority had recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Port Authority of Thailand to build a connecting road between Bangkok Port and Bangna-Artnarong Expressway (S1 route), a distance of 1.8km.
“The project is expected to reduce traffic congestion on Artnarong Road, the entrance to Bangkok Port, and the connecting road network,” he said. “The construction will be carried out on Exat’s land therefore no land expropriation is required. However, the construction might affect the environment of surrounding communities.”
Surachet further added that Exat had held two public hearings to address concerns that the affected communities might have, and will hold a third one in November. “Exat will make sure that all community members are protected or properly compensated in case they are affected by the construction,” he said.
“After the third hearing, it is expected to take around one year to design the project in detail and receive approval from the board of directors. Construction should start in January 2023 and will take around two years, which means the connecting road will be open for public use in 2025.
“The project has an estimated budget of Bt1.6 billion and will be jointly responsible by EXAT and PAT at 50:50. It is expected to help move around 15,000 vehicles per day from Artnarong Road, 7,000 of which are trucks, through the four-lane roads [two lanes per each direction],” he added. “It will also comprise connecting ramps that direct the traffic to Burapha Withi Expressway and Chalong Rat Expressway.”