New M81 motorway segment open for new year holiday traffic in Thailand

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced that a portion of the new M81 motorway, set to connect Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi province, will be accessible to drivers over the new year holiday season. Suriya and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin were in Kanchanaburi on Saturday, where they conversed with officials about the province’s development.

During the period from December 28 to January 3, a 51-kilometre segment of the M81, stretching from tambon Wangtaku in Nakhon Pathom’s Muang district to tambon Nongkhao in Kanchanaburi’s Tha Mueang district, will be open to motorists with no charge.

The move aims to alleviate traffic congestion on Highway 323, the principal road linking Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi, which regularly experiences heavy traffic during the holiday season. It will also offer a quicker route for trucks travelling from Bangkok to the west.

Suriya relayed that the 61 year old prime minister has directed state agencies to hasten construction on the unfinished sections, enabling a full trial of the M81 next year. The motorway is projected to commence commercial operation around 2025.

Costing approximately US$61 billion, the M81, also referred to as Motorway No 81, is part of a series of projects that the government decided to expedite in 2016 to enhance the country’s infrastructural framework.

Upon completion, the M81 will provide an alternative route for west-bound motorists, who currently use highways 4, 323, and 338, and is expected to reduce travel time and fuel expenses.

Saturday’s meeting also touched on other matters such as land title distribution, water resource management, tourism promotion, agricultural development, and the potential establishment of a special economic zone in Kanchanaburi, bordering Myanmar.

This province could serve as a significant logistics hub in the Central-Western Economic Corridor (CWEC) that connects Bangkok and Chon Buri to Dawei in Myanmar.

In related news, the Department of Highways (DoH) in Thailand is gearing up to construct a new 34.1 kilometre motorway project, linking Bang Bua Thong in Nonthaburi and Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya. The project, with a budget of almost 15 billion baht, is slated to be completed by 2029. Read more about the story HERE.