Chon Buri motorway lanes to be doubled

CHONBURI: -- The Bangkok-Chon Buri motorway will be expanded from four to eight

lanes to serve traffic to the new international airport, interim

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said yesterday.

It will cost an estimated 3.1 billion baht.

The work would take about three years if it relied on use of state

budget funding.

However, he said, the ministry received approval from cabinet to seek

a soft loan from Krung Thai Bank for the entire cost. The government

would later repay the loan with interest. Construction time would be

shortened to about 14 months.

Wider roads to the eastern coastal provinces were needed to cope with

expected traffic after Suvarnabhumi takes over from Don Muang as

Bangkok's new international airport, Mr Suriya said.

The minister said all roads under construction or refurbishment

leading to Suvarnabhumi, in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, would

be completed by September. They would be able to service 80,000

vehicles a day.

--Agencies 2005-03-04

If you have driven out that way lately, you will notice that the work is well underway and looks to me like a Sept completion should not be a problem.

All the major overpasses are pretty much complete and they are paving the extra lanes.

TH

If only they would smooth out those horrible humps that nearly make you take off in the first section

The manager of the Airport Authority told recently that the opening of the new airport will be delayed by 6 months.

He stated delays in construction where not the cause, but they needed more time to do all the systems testing ensuring everything would go smooth and safe when they do open.

it looks hideous and the bus from bangers can take nearly 3 hours via chonburi-sri ratcha. madness.

If you have driven out that way lately, you will notice that the work is well underway and looks to me like a Sept completion should not be a problem.

All the major overpasses are pretty much complete and they are paving the extra lanes. 

TH

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're talking about the roads in the immediate vicinity of the airport, I assume.

There is no direct link to the 'Skyway' above the Bang Na / Trat road on the Southern side of the airport - everything will be thrown into the ground-level confusion. The links to the Outer Ring Road are not being upgraded on that side either.

Around Lad Krabang there is a lot of work going on, but I understand that this article refers to the continuation a few kilometres East and South, heading for the Chonburi bypass. This is already overcrowded and to have roadworks there for the next three years will screw up any chance of having a fast, comfortable trip to Pattaya / Rayong.

And if you visit the airport site you will realise that the place is far from complete - six months from now, when it is due to open, it will still be a construction site. At least one year to go - maybe more.

The new Hong Kong Airport first built the control tower, because the CAA needed three years to approve all the installations. At Suvarnabhumi it is still a raw concrete tower, without any kit inside.