thailandedition
Govt pushes Kathu-Patong expressway to cut travel to 5 mins

Govt pushes Kathu-Patong expressway to cut travel to 5 mins

Khaosod•Economy•41m ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai government is developing a special expressway connecting Kathu and Patong in Phuket to reduce travel time from 30 minutes to 5 minutes.

  • •The project involves a tunnel with a revised size reduced from 17 meters to 14 meters.
  • •The project is expected to be proposed for Cabinet approval in December 2026.
  • •Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2027 and be completed by September 2031.
  • •The first phase of the project is expected to handle an average traffic volume of 50,000-60,000 vehicles per day, including motorcycles.

Overview

  • •The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has submitted the project proposal to the Ministry of Transport.
  • •The project design has been adjusted to reduce the tunnel size from 17 meters to 14 meters.
  • •The project is expected to be proposed to the Cabinet for approval in December 2026.
  • •Land acquisition is targeted for completion by January 2027, with the contractor expected to be selected in April 2027.
  • •Construction is set to start in October 2027 and is expected to be finished by September 2031, with service opening in October 2031.
  • •The project will include the Patong and Kathu interchanges to connect with the surrounding road network.
  • •The expressway will reduce travel time between Kathu and Patong from 30 minutes to 5 minutes.
  • •The project aims to solve traffic problems, increase travel efficiency, and support the expansion of Phuket.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Khaosod (Thai Version)

Source: Khaosod (Original)

View Original Article

Key Entities

Person

PloytaIlae Laksameesaengchan(พลอยทะเล ลักษมีแสงจันทร์)
Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office who disclosed the progress of the Phuket expressway project.

Organization

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand(สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️
The organization that proposed the project to the Ministry of Transport.
Ministry of Transport(กระทรวงคมนาคม)ℹ️
The ministry that received the project proposal from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
Cabinet(คณะรัฐมนตรี)
The body expected to consider and approve the project in December 2026.

Place

Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️
The province where the expressway project is being developed to solve traffic issues.
Kathu(กะทู้)ℹ️
One of the areas connected by the special expressway project in Phuket.
Patong(ป่าตอง)ℹ️
One of the areas connected by the special expressway project in Phuket.