Revised motorway plan 'to be ready for Cabinet approval by January'
The operation and maintenance (O&M) project of M6 Motorway (Bangpa-In - Nakhon Ratchasima) for a distance of 196 kilometres, and the M9 Motorway (Bangyai - Kanchanaburi) for a distance of 96km are currently undergoing plan adjustment, the Department of Highways said.
The department's director-general, Sarawut Songwilai, said the updated plans would be submitted to the Cabinet by January 2021.
“The reasons we need to adjust the plans are due to changes in the bidding process, as the project had been initiated back in 2012 and there have been changes in the geographic condition of the construction areas,” he said.
“Also, on the routes that run through such facilities as irrigation canals, the height of bridges would need to be increased and therefore require a corresponding budget.”
Sarawut added that the department had estimated the cost of construction of the M6 Motorway at Bt70 billion, while the price offered by the bidder was Bt60 billion.
“We estimate that the plan adjustment would require an additional Bt6.8 billion from the Bt10 billion that we have left,” he said.
“The updated plan should be finished within this month, and after it is approved by the Minister of Transport it would be proposed to the Cabinet by January next year.”
The Bangpa-In - Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway will start the test run period around the end of 2022. Currently, 92 per cent of construction has been completed.
The O&M project will be handled by bid winner BGSR Consortium, which consists of BTS Group Holding, Gulf Energy Development, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction and Ratch Group, for 30 years after it opens for public use.
BGSR offered Bt21.3 billion, lower than the estimated Bt33.25 billion cost of the O&M project.
Construction of the Bangyai-Kanchanaburi Motorway is now 40 per cent complete. BGSR is also the bid winner for the O&M project.
It is expected to open for public use within 2023.