Samsen Road new Bangkok traffic congestion hotspot from Wednesday
Bangkok’s Samsen Road will become a new congestion hotspot from Wednesday (November 9), when it will be reduced to three lanes.
The road will be narrowed until December 15 to make way for construction of the MRT Purple Line southern extension from Tao Poon to Rat Burana, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) said on Sunday.
"This move will reduce traffic on the side heading to Sanghi Intersection to two lanes and the side heading to Vajira Intersection to one lane," said the MRTA.
It warned the move would bring inconvenience for motorists and construction noise for local residents.
CKST-PL Joint Venture, which is responsible for the construction from Tao Poon to the National Library, will reduce lanes from Samsen police station to Sanghi Intersection to make way for construction of Vajira Hospital Station.
The Purple Line southern extension will ferry commuters between central Bangkok and Samut Prakan. The Purple Line also interlinks with the new national rail hub of Bang Sue Grand Station.
The extension will run south from the riverside Parliament House (Sappaya-Sapasathan) along a 17-station route including Vajira Hospital, the National Library of Thailand, Wat Bowonniwet Vihara and Phra Pradaeng intersection in Samut Prakan.
Leading real estate firm DDproperty expects the line to boost property prices along the route once construction is completed in 2027.
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