EXAT to pursue controversial tunnel despite opposition from locals

EXAT governor Surachet Laophulsuk said on Saturday that the authority had held the third public hearing on the project on Saturday, and it would soon submit its environment impact assessment report on the project to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning for approval.

He said the EXAT would seek approval for the project estimated to cost 49.22 billion baht next year.

Surachet was speaking to reporters after the end of the third hearing on the project on Saturday.

Surachet admitted that local residents had concerns about the project’s impact and they would like the EXAT to cancel it.

“But we can’t say yet whether the project can be scrapped, as it has yet to be reviewed by several agencies and it has to be considered by the transport minister and the Cabinet will make a final decision,” Surachet said.

The development of the third-phase expressway has hit a snag with strong opposition from Kasetsart University over plans to build an elevated expressway near its main campus.

Following a long delay, the EXAT has opted to build a tunnel to replace the N1 section.

Surachet said the EXAT would next year draft the terms of reference to invite bids for the N1 next year and would consider the source of the construction funding, the contractor, and the firm that would oversee the construction.

The EXAT would draft a bill to expropriate land for the construction during the next two years and the expropriation would begin in 2026 until 2029.

He said the construction might begin in 2026 and the N1 section would be opened to motorists in 2031.

Of the 49.22-billion-baht budget, 44.532 billion baht would be construction cost, 3.619 billion baht for land expropriation and 1.069 billion baht for the construction supervision firm.

The N1 section would be two layers of tunnel each of two lanes – one for inbound and the other for outbound traffic.

The 6.3-kilometre underpass, which will be the country's first expressway tunnel, will run along Ngarmwongwan Road via the Phongphet intersection, the Bang Khen intersection, and the Kaset intersection to Prasertmanukit Road before connecting with the N2 Expressway.

The tunnel, which is built in a cut and cover structure, will have an entry point and exit with a length of 1.75km, as well as an elevated structure with a length of 2.49km to link with the N2-phase expressway.