Phuket Tunnel Could Reduce Kathu-Patong Journey to Five Minutes

Phuket Tunnel Could Reduce Kathu-Patong Journey to Five Minutes

Thailand’s Expressway Authority is seeking Cabinet approval for a 16.8 billion baht expressway and tunnel connecting Kathu with Patong. The 3.98-kilometre route would bypass the steep and accident-prone mountain road, potentially reducing a roughly 30-minute journey to about five minutes. Plans include a 1.85-kilometre tunnel beneath Khao Nak Kerd with separate lanes for cars and motorcycles, while proposed tolls have been substantially reduced. Officials estimate that between 50,000 and 60,000 vehicles could use the route each day during its first year of operation. If Cabinet approval arrives in December as expected, construction could begin in October 2027 with the road targeted to open in October 2031.