THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Operation and maintenance contracts for two motorways to be proposed to Cabinet

Operation and maintenance contracts for two motorways to be proposed to Cabinet

The Department of Highways is ready to propose operation and maintenance contracts for the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima and the Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi motorways worth Bt61 billion to the Cabinet in May this year.

Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn, the department director of Inter-City Motorway Division, said on Wednesday (April 15) that these are currently under the consideration of the State Enterprise Policy Office on opening for private investment and the Office of the Attorney-General to examine the contract draft.
“We expect that we would able to propose this project to the Cabinet for consideration in May before signing the contract with BGSR Consortium,” he said.
“The Covid-19 outbreak does not affect the signing programme and private operations. If the Cabinet approves this project, the contract can be signed immediately.”
He said that BGSR Consortium had proposed the lowest cost for the 196-kilometre Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima motorway of Bt21.329 billion from the cost estimate of Bt33.258 billion, while the lowest quotation for the 96km Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi motorway was Bt17.809 billion, much lower than the cost estimate of Bt27.828 billion.
“In the first phase, the private operator must design and install the toll collection and traffic management system, as well as build toll gates,” he said. “In the second phase, the private operator has to undergo maintenance operation for 30 years. The operator will receive payment after opening the service as proposed.”
He added that construction of the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima motorway was 87 per cent complete while Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi motorway was 29 per cent complete. “We expect to open the service in 2023,” he added.
Meanwhile, Apirat Chaiwongnoi the department deputy director-general, said, that the construction progress of elevated tollway on Highway Route No 35 Thon Buri-Pak Tho worth Bt10 billion, starting from August last year was 2.61 per cent, expected to be finished in August 2022.
“Progress in the construction of the Bang Khun Thian-Ekkachai Interchange in March this year can be divided as follows: Part 1 worth Bt3.99 billion was 1.35 per cent complete, Part 2 worth Bt3.99 billion was 0.115 per cent, and Part 3 worth Bt2.49 billion was 8.64 per cent,” he said.

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