M81 Nonthaburi-Kanchanaburi highway testing next year

The Nonthaburi-Kanchanaburi highway, also referred to as the Motorway 81 or M81, will undergo testing in 2024 and be fully operational by the start of 2025. The 96.4-kilometre motorway is part of Thailand’s public-private partnership (PPP) fast-track scheme. The program aims at accelerating the most important investment projects under the Ministry of Transport.

So far, the government sank 61 billion baht into the M81 highway project. The highway has now been 88% completed. It is designed to connect Bangkok to the western provinces with much more speed and efficiency.

By creating a more convenient and time-efficient transportation option for people travelling between Nonthaburi and Kanchanaburi, the government hopes economic growth in the region will flourish.

Aside from M81, the Ministry of Transport is also working on new highway projects in the northeastern Esan region. The Ministry is proposing an allocation of 4.97 billion baht in additional funding for the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima elevated motorway, also known as the M6.

The budget for the M81 highway will be presented to the Cabinet today. It for the 196-kilometre motorway will finance 12 additional contracts. The original blueprints have has undergone structural changes since their original inception. The M6 project has been underway since 2016 and has paid out 69.95 billion baht to 40 civil construction contracts.

The government’s land development plan changed as a result of feedback received during public consultation. Four of the 16 original contracts for the M81 highway, which were valued at 1.7 billion baht, have already been successfully executed.

Nonthaburi is one of the country’s most populous provinces. It serves as a popular suburb in the Greater Bangkok Area. An efficient highway connecting the vibrant and busy province with the nature and tourist attractions of Kanchanaburi will be a boost to the economies of both provinces. Kanchanaburi is popular with domestic and international travellers. They flock to its stunning natural beauty and it is home to tourist hotspots like the famous River Kwai and the Erawan National Park.