Transport Ministry seeks 44.44 billion baht for Motorway 8 Phase 1

The Transport Ministry will ask the Cabinet to approve 44.44 billion baht for building the first phase of Motorway No 8, which runs from Nakhon Pathom province to Pak Tor district in Ratchaburi, a news source said on Friday.

The ministry expects the funds to be approved within this year or early next year, so the land expropriation process can start off within 2026 as scheduled.

The mega project involves building a 109-kilometre interprovincial highway to the South of Thailand, starting from Nakhon Pathom province to the east of Bangkok and terminating at Phetchaburi’s Cha-am district.

The Department of Highways (DOH)’s feasibility study for the 61-km first phase (Nakhon Pathom-Pak Tor) estimated the cost at 44.44 billion baht, the source said.

This includes 29.15 billion baht for construction, 3 billion baht for operation and maintenance systems, and 12.29 billion baht for land expropriation.

Construction is expected to start in 2027 and is expected to take up to four years to complete. Hence, the source said, the first phase should be open for public use by 2031.

The DOH reported that during the study process, some communities along the construction areas have expressed concerns regarding land expropriation. The department said it has explained the necessity of the project and the compensation that will be paid to affected families, most of whom are sugar palm farmers.

The DOH added that the project in the second phase (Pak Tor – Cha-Am), covering 48km, is currently in the design phase, which should be finished soon.

The Motorway No 8 project will be carried out under a public-private partnership, with the private partner responsible for operation and maintenance for 32 years.

The motorway will feature four traffic lanes with a width varying from 80 to 120 metres and a total of nine toll collection checkpoints.