The Department of Highways (DOH) has announced a 20-year plan to expand the kingdom’s interprovincial network, which will include the construction of new motorways across Thailand. The plan aims to establish a modern and efficient transportation network, facilitating regional connectivity and economic growth.
DoH Deputy Director-General Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn announced the department’s long-term plan during a press conference held at Bangkok’s Eastin Grand Hotel on Monday (24 July). He said the DOH contracted companies to conduct a feasibility study for its updates to the Motorway-Rail Map (MR Map) project. The study, which aims to explore possibilities for developments for future highways and transportation, is expected to be presented to the Ministry of Transport for consideration by the end of this year.
The latest revisions to the MR Map, initially proposed in 1997 and last updated in 2016, strive to transform Thailand into a regional transportation and logistics hub.
According to the study’s recommendations, the first phase of the upgrades will span the initial five years of the 20-year plan. This phase includes nine projects totaling 457 billion baht, resulting in the construction of 331 kilometers of new highways by the government. The estimated cost for projects in the first phase of the master plan is 413.2 billion baht, with those in the latter phase valued at 775.9 billion baht.
Supervision of the MR Map projects will be carried out by various agencies under the Ministry of Transport, including the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and the DOH. (NNT)
