M82 motorway nears opening, free trial starts in August
Motorists will soon be able to use the M82 motorway free of charge after the Department of Highways confirmed yesterday, July 6, that the new route is on track to open for public trial use in August.
The 25-kilometre motorway connects Bang Khun Thian, Ekkachai and Ban Phaeo. Drivers will be able to use the entire route for free for around two years before tolls are introduced when the motorway enters full operation in 2029.
Department of Highways Director-General Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn said construction of the M82 motorway is now more than 98% complete, with only around 2% of the project remaining before it is ready to open to the public.
The motorway will initially operate without tolls because its Operation and Maintenance (O&M) system has yet to be completed. The Department of Highways (DoH) is evaluating private-sector bids for the 1.037 billion baht O&M project under a public-private partnership (PPP).
The DoH expects to sign the contract with a private-sector company by the end of 2026. Installation of the O&M system is expected during 2027 and 2028, before the motorway enters full operation and starts collecting tolls in 2029.
The M82 motorway is a key transport route for western Thailand. It will connect seamlessly with the Expressway Authority of Thailand’s Rama III-Daokanong-Western Outer Ring Road Expressway, providing a continuous route expected to improve travel and ease congestion on Rama II Road.
In a separate development, the initial phase of the Motorway 8 (M8) project, designed to connect Nakhon Pathom to Ratchaburi, is set to start in 2027. This phase will extend 61 kilometres from Nakhon Pathom province to Pak Tho district in Ratchaburi province.
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