Phuket Governor confirms route for B5bn, 12-lane airport expressway
Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today confirmed that the Highways Department has decided on the route the planned 12-lane expressway from Koh Kaew to Phuket International Airport costing B5.5 billion will take.
Governor Chamroen announced the route at a public meeting held at Phuket Rajabhat University today (Sept 6).
Present at the meeting were Phuket Provincial Office Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Pakphom Intarasuwan and Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Surachai Chaiwat.
Highways Department Engineer Paisan Suwanrak explained at the meeting that the initial proposal to make the road four lanes wide each way had been expanded to now make the road six lanes each way.
The extra two new lanes each way will comprise one lane reserved for motorcycles, and one lane one each side of the expressway being reserved for bicycles.
“The road aims to ease traffic congestion to Phuket Town,” he said. “It will have will five overpasses, and will be 80 metres wide and 22.7km long.”
The road will start near Thalang Technical College, pass Bang Khanoon protected forest and the Heroines’ Monument and conclude at Koh Kaew about 700 metres north of the Bang Ku Underpass.
“The project team aims to have the plans finalised by April 2017, then we will proceed with construction. The new road is expected to be complete in 2022,” Mr Paisan said.
Gov Chamroen explained that the meeting held today was to follow up on the project’s progress and to let the public know that the Highways Department had made finalised its decision on the location for the new road, and had selected the best plan for the area.
“Local government authorities involved in the project and residents living in the areas that will be affected have been informed of the current update on the project,” Gov Chamroen said.
“We also wanted to give the opportunity for everyone to express their opinions or give advice on the project so officials could gather the information from the meeting today to help with the survey and design for this project,” he said.
