Bang Pa-In to Khorat Expressway

[FrazeeDK]

Watching the Thai news the other day showing the jammed Rte 2 coming up onto the Khorat Plateau from Saraburi I was a bit stunned to see the huge progress being made on the construction of the Bang Pa-In to Khorat tollway.. There are numerous support structures for an overhead mortorway which parallels or actually is over the current Rte 2.. It will be 250km long, start down near Bang Pa-In and end on the western side of the Khorat ring road. In watching an interview with the Thai Highway Department I caught that the toll for the entire length will be about 250 baht. The tollway is predicted to save one hour on the current three hour drive... http://www.doh-motorway.com/en/motorway ... -route/m6/ I imagine that an expressway from Khorat to Nong Khai is in the planning stages...

[FrazeeDK]

scheduled for completion in 2019. The new Tollway will go from the Khorat ring road and parallel Rte 2 then have an elevated structure over Rte 2 by the lake/dam then go east of Rte 2 and on to Bang Pa-in.. Here's a short video showing a portion of the construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onz5VcA5yxY Here's the one of the participating project company's site: https://ptr-pec.com/work/bridge-over-mo ... sanulok-2/ I expect that after this portion is complete plans will be made to continue the tollway further north to KK and finally Udon and Nong Khai...

[stattointhailand]

If its done at the same rate as the work at Tescos Jn (400m in 2 years) I think 2(1)19 is a more reasonable projection

[dunroaming]

Passed this highway 6 weeks ago construction progressing well and views will be fantastic when completed. Def not same rate as Tesco thank god but traffic reduced to a crawl on many stretches of the road.

[stattointhailand]

Passed this highway 6 weeks ago construction progressing well and views will be fantastic when completed. Def not same rate as Tesco thank god but traffic reduced to a crawl on many stretches of the road.

Oh great ........"views will be fantastic" ............... TIT so we can expect travel to be slower than currently due to the excessive amount of "prangs" caused by drivers looking at the views instead of the road and traffic in front

[dunroaming]

That's exactly what I thought statts along with trucks and busesplowing over the edge onto the road below

[747man]

Passed this highway 6 weeks ago construction progressing well and views will be fantastic when completed. Def not same rate as Tesco thank god but traffic reduced to a crawl on many stretches of the road.

Oh great ........"views will be fantastic" ............... TIT so we can expect travel to be slower than currently due to the excessive amount of "prangs" caused by drivers looking at the views instead of the road and traffic in front

But I'm CERTAIN There will be LESS Prangs than Uber have in Londinium ( About 15 A DAY Currently....) :-" :-"

[FrazeeDK]

it is a tollway and depending upon the toll that could keep the rubberneckers to a minimum along with trucks and buses..

[stattointhailand]

it is a tollway and depending upon the toll that could keep the rubberneckers to a minimum along with trucks and buses..

Exactly the OPPOSITE FrazeeDK ........ the company will be paying the charges for their Yaba/LaoKhao'd up employees to fall asleep at the wheel

[Drunk Monkey]

Been watching this construction progress on a very regular basis and its really taking shape now , huge sections completed kms n kms , at the moment i travel it at night so no real hold ups ...when complete this toll road will be fantastic knocking a big chunk of time off the normal trip .

Quite a lot of the Korat to Nong Khai sections are already underway but its not as visible as the korat Saraburi Bang Pain section as its away from the now number 2 highway a fair bit .

Currently Udon to Bkk is 7 - 7 half hours drive .. knock off at least an hour to hour half
Buriram to Bkk now 5 half hours .. this will go down to 4 - 4 n half .

As yet no prices set for the tolls Bang Pain to Korat .

DM

[stattointhailand]

"Currently Udon to Bkk is 7 - 7 half hours drive .. knock off at least an hour to hour half "

So what you re saying is that it will take about the same amount of time as it use to take 10 or 15 years ago BEFORE they started p*ssing about doing all the Major roadworks/upgrades on Rte 2 ..........AND they re now going to charge for what was free .......... Wonderful

[jackspratt]

Any recent travelers have an update on this ie is it open, or very close?

[samster]

In Pak Chong now and travelled down via Korat yesterday. Last passed this way in February and, yes, its progressing but I wouldn't say its startlingly changed since my last visit. The most noticeable change is that parts of the highway now have street lights but it is far from completion.

[jackspratt]

Cheers samster - thanks for the update. On the ground knowledge is invaluable.

When traveling to Jomtien and places south, I normally go one way via Kabin Buri (via the mountains), and the other way via Saraburi.

Looks like it will be the same in the upcoming trip.

[FrazeeDK]

Department of Highways site that covers the new expressway. http://www.doh-motorway.com/en/motorway ... -route/m6/

[samster]

Travelled back from Pak Chong yesterday and took a bit more notice! It has actually progressed more than I thought and, there are stretches which look near completion. The disruption on the old highway isn't as bad as it was, presumably because most of the groundwork is complete. No expert in these things but, I would guess stretches will be open within a year.

[FrazeeDK]

the expressway appears to be approximately 200km long. The tolls will be Baht 10 + Baht 1.25 /km so end to end it should be about 260 baht toll. Speed limit is supposed to be 120kph..

[Drunk Monkey]

Just back from a 24 hour up n down UD BKK in back .. heads up only that some sections of the elevated expressway from Bang Pa-in to Korat are now in use , seems the ya re resurfacing the original lower highway where the sections of the new raised are being used ... must say the road surface is as smooth a silk , zero road noise , well lit n made for a quicker less stressful drive ... when its all operational will lop a good hour plus off the trip.. no charges as yet but toll booths will be installed when its all complete apparently with 100 bt being muted which is ok by me.

DM is of the opinion the same guys who laid the SW Ban Jan - Nadee Udon ring road section didnt do the new new expressway

DM

[Drunk Monkey]

The imported beverage sales are up as in the norm just after the New Year... so hencforth i travel thee again to the great metropolis of Bangkok in the sea..

Even more sections of the Korat to BPI elevated expressway are now open .. Ud to Bangers (Rama 9) 6 n half hrs ..splendid hope its fully open soon ..and then they slap up another the same from Korat to Nong Khai

DM

[FrazeeDK]

I think that the Khorat to Nong Khai Expressway must be on the planning docket somewhere. It just makes sense...