Suriya inspects Rama II roadworks, confident of 2025 completion

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, on May 23, 2025, visited the construction site of the M82 Motorway Project, specifically the elevated section from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaeo, focusing on the segment between Bang Khun Thian Interchange and Ekachai Road (km 16–20), as well as the traffic control centre located at km 27 on Highway 35 in Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province.

The visit aimed to follow up on progress along Rama II Road.

Suriya reported significant advancement in the civil works of the Bang Khun Thian–Ekachai sections (Contracts 1–3) and the Ekachai–Ban Phaeo sections (Contracts 1–10), with overall construction progress surpassing 82%, which is in line with the planned schedule.

He expressed full confidence that all construction works along Rama II Road will be completed by the end of 2025, ensuring safer and more convenient travel for the public.

All relevant agencies have been instructed to prioritise safety. In addition to standard safety measures, the project now includes a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for launching gantries.

This system detects structural anomalies and immediately alerts supervisors and responsible personnel to investigate and respond, significantly enhancing safety for both road users and construction workers.

The Department of Highways (DOH) and the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) have also been urged to strictly enforce safety protocols with contractors. Safety must be guaranteed for both workers and road users, with zero tolerance for accidents or falling construction materials.

Suriya further addressed the contractor performance tracking system, or "Contractor Report Cards." The revised ministerial regulations enabling the enforcement of this system were approved by the Cabinet on April 8, 2025.

The draft is currently under review by the Office of the Council of State, while the Comptroller General’s Department is finalising related regulations outlining criteria for demerit scoring, disqualification from bidding, and downgrading of contractor grades.

Prepared protocols are already in place for cases involving accidents resulting from contractor negligence, including incidents causing injuries, fatalities, or property damage. The new measures are expected to take effect between July and August 2025.

However, the report card system will apply only to newly initiated construction projects and cannot be retroactively enforced on existing contracts.

All agencies have been reminded to intensify oversight of all ongoing projects, ensuring continuous on-site supervision to maintain maximum safety until completion.

Apirat Chaiwongnoi, Director-General of the Department of Highways, reported that construction on the Bang Khun Thian–Ekachai section (3 contracts) is now 100% complete. For the Ekachai–Ban Phaeo section (10 contracts), progress as of April 2025 stands at 78%.

Detailed progress by section is as follows:

Section 1: 79.55%

Section 2: 83.71%

Section 3: 90.27%

Section 4: 59.63%

Section 5: 83.29%

Section 6: 68.50%

Section 7: 54.22%

Section 8: 83.66%

Section 9: 91.65%

Section 10: 80.65%

Surachet Laopoonsuk, Governor of the Expressway Authority of Thailand, added that the Rama III–Dao Khanong–Western Outer Ring Expressway, which falls under EXAT’s responsibility, is progressing well, with an overall completion rate of 89.39%.

All civil works under this project are expected to be completed by November 2025, with plans to open sections to public use under review.

The Ban Phaeo interchange is expected to be operational by September 2025. Meanwhile, the Bang Khun Thian interchange, where a previous collapse had occurred, halting construction, is about three months behind schedule. Work has resumed, and it is expected to open by March 2026.

Rama II Road, a key highway linking Bangkok with southern Thailand, has been under constant construction and expansion for over five decades. The project began in 1970 during the government of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn and officially opened in 1973 as a two-lane road. It significantly shortened travel time to the South compared to the older Phetkasem Road.

Major expansions have occurred in phases:

1989–1994: Widened to four lanes with the addition of four interchanges.

1996–2000: Expanded to 14 lanes in some sections, including main and frontage roads.

2001–2003: Upgraded to 8–10 lanes between Bang Khun Thian and Samut Sakhon Industrial Estate.

2006–2009: Further expanded to 6–8 lanes up to Wang Manao.

Since 2018, the government has been implementing elevated roadways and the M82 Motorway project (Bang Khun Thian–Ban Phaeo) to ease congestion and enhance safety.

Despite continuous efforts, delays and frequent accidents have plagued the project. From 2018 to 2023, over 2,500 accidents were reported on Rama II, with 142 fatalities and 1,441 injuries, earning it the notorious nickname “the road of seven generations.”

Now, with progress accelerating and major works expected to be completed by the end of 2025, Rama II may finally reach the finish line after more than half a century of development.