The Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is all set to push the Ministry of Transport into moving forward with three vital mass-transit projects located in the hotspots of Bangkok and Phuket. These ambitious projects, having a rough cost of around 220 billion baht, showcase the country’s commitment towards advancing its transport infrastructure. MRTA’s governor, Pakapong Sirikantaramas, on this front had made an announcement yesterday outlining the detail of these projects which incorporate the Brown and Orange lines in Bangkok as well as a revolutionary transit system in Phuket.
The Orange Line, an intricate portion of the project, is tailored to bridge the areas between the Bangkok Noi district’s Bang Khun Non-region, which lies on the Chao Phraya River’s west side, and the eastern district of Bangkok, Min Buri. The Eastern part stretches for 22.57 kilometres, reaching from the Thailand Cultural Centre station to Min Buri, is currently on the brink of completion. Conversely, construction and commencement of the western extension, designed to cover a stretch of 13.4 kilometers linking the Cultural Centre station to Bang Khun Non, are yet to be initiated.
Subsequent delays in the construction of the Orange Line’s western extension, according to Pakapong, arise from certain disagreements pertaining to the bidding process. The projected cost for this particular portion of the project is expected to reach a total of 140 billion baht.
The second project identified is the Brown Line Monorail, still awaiting an official approval. This line is expected to connect Khae Rai in Nonthaburi to Lam Sali in Bangkok, with investment approximated at around 49 billion baht. The MRTA board has approved a feasibility analysis, the bidding conditions, and a detailed report analysing the investment structure of public-private partnerships (PPP). Pakapong further added that the MRTA is currently in the process of compiling feedback from all the relevant agencies preceding presenting the project to the Ministry of Transport.
In association with the Expressway Authority of Thailand, the MRTA is plotting a section over Prasert Manukitch Road. According to reports from the Bangkok Post, the governor informs that the monorail will be designed over a new expressway along this road, tracing a stretch of 7.2 kilometres.
The grand final project is positioned in Phuket, presenting a light rail transit project designed to join the Ha Yaek Chalong intersection with Phuket International Airport. This ambitious endeavor, spanning a cumulative distance of 42 kilometers, carries an estimated cost of a whopping 33 billion baht. This project, as per Pakapong, is temporarily on wait as directives are to be relayed from the new transport minister.
The scope of the MRTA further expands to building mass transit systems in major cities like Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Phitsanulok. Pakapong also enlightened that the feasibility studies for the projects in the first two cities have been finalized while the study for the third city, Phitsanulok, is currently in the recruitment phase for an adept consulting company.
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