Thai minister vows to improve Rama 2 Road traffic ahead of Songkran
The quality of traffic on Rama 2 Road in Thailand is set to improve ahead of the Songkran Festival, as promised by the Thai Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, on February 27. The vow comes in the wake of a delay in the road’s construction, a setback attributed to the impact of Covid-19 on the contractors in charge of the project.
The pandemic has not only affected their liquidity but also limited their working hours to night-time to avoid causing traffic congestion.
The construction, broken down into ten contracts, started on February 1, 2022, and was initially projected to be completed by January 2025. However, due to the delays brought about by the pandemic, the timeline has been extended to June 2025, reported The Pattaya News.
In response to these setbacks, Suriya has instructed the Thai Department of Highways to implement measures against the delays. A merit-score system has been proposed, penalising those contractors who fail to meet the set criteria by barring them from participating in future government biddings.
In a bid to alleviate the expected traffic congestion during the Songkran holidays, scheduled from April 12 to 16, Suriya has ordered a temporary halt to all construction activities.
In addition to these remedial measures, the Department of Highways has been tasked with studying the feasibility of expanding the road from Rama 2 to Wang Manao Subdistrict in the Pak Tho District of Ratchaburi Province. Also, a road from Nakhon Pathom to Cha-am, Phetchaburi, is being considered.
The aim is to reduce the travel time from Bangkok to Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, to less than two hours once the road expansion is completed, Suriya explained.
However, the ongoing construction on Rama 2 Road is not a new development. It has been a continuous process spanning over 50 years, leading to the locals dubbing it the “seven-generation road.” Construction initially started in 1970, and since then, the road has seen multiple expansions, including adding more lanes and building an elevated highway. This long history of construction underscores the significance of the Minister’s commitment to improving the traffic situation at the Songkran Festival.
