400 million baht for new Rama 2 parallel route construction
The Department of Highways has allocated 400 million baht to alleviate traffic congestion on Rama 2 Road by constructing a parallel route and new bridges. Construction is expected to begin in September this year, and officials assure that it will not affect traffic on the main route.
Yesterday, April 21, Apirat Chaiwongnoi, Director General of the Department of Highways, discussed the heavy traffic on Highway 35, particularly at the bottleneck near the Ban Bo canal bridge (km.39+357) and the Tha Rang canal bridge (km.39+987) in Mueang Samut Sakhon district. With only three lanes in each direction, vehicle movement is slow, leading to long queues.
Additionally, the number of vehicles from the Special Route No. 82 (M82) project entering Rama 2 Road is expected to increase. As a major route to south Thailand, Rama 2 Road sees traffic volumes of up to 200,000 cars per day, underlining its critical role in the national economy.
To address these challenges and accommodate future traffic growth, the Department of Highways has approved a budget of 400 million baht (US$12 million) for the construction of a parallel route on Rama 2 Road, from the Ban Phaeo interchange to Bang Nam Won (km.39+000 to km.40+050). The budget will be allocated in 2025, with construction anticipated to commence in September of the same year, spanning 780 days.
Key construction details include the building of two new bridges on each side of the parallel route over the Ban Bo canal (370 metres) and the Tha Rang canal (350 metres) to resolve bottleneck issues on the main route. There will also be improvements to four U-turn points under the bridges to facilitate travel and reduce traffic disruptions on the main route.
Additionally, the new parallel route will be upgraded to six lanes (three in each direction) with concrete surfaces, shoulders, and footpaths to increase capacity, alleviate congestion, and improve drainage systems.
Apirat assured that all construction will occur outside the existing main route, ensuring no impact on current traffic flow.
The Department of Highways and related agencies have planned the construction meticulously to minimise effects on road users, emphasising traffic management safety and convenience to ensure continuous travel for the public, reported KhaoSod.
The parallel route and new bridge project will increase outbound vehicle capacity, reduce lane merging issues, and effectively ease traffic congestion at bridge bottlenecks, directly benefiting road users.
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