Songkhla Lake bridge will cut two-hour trip to 15 minutes
The 7km link between Songkhla and Phatthalung pairs faster travel with engineering safeguards for Irrawaddy dolphins and the lake ecosystem
- A new 7-kilometre bridge across Songkhla Lake will connect Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces, reducing the current 70-80km road journey from up to two hours to approximately 15 minutes.
- Valued at over 4.645 billion baht, the project is funded by a World Bank loan and the state budget, with an expected opening date around August or September 2029.
- The bridge is designed to improve economic opportunities for local communities by providing easier travel and better market access for agricultural and fishing products.
- The project incorporates significant environmental safeguards, including quieter construction methods and a monitoring system to halt work if rare Irrawaddy dolphins are detected nearby.
A bridge across Songkhla Lake is expected to reduce travel between Songkhla and Phatthalung from as long as two hours to just 15 minutes, delivering a transport link that local communities have awaited for more than a decade.
The project will connect Krasae Sin district in Songkhla with Khao Chaison district in Phatthalung. The 7-kilometre route comprises a 6.6km bridge and 400 metres of connecting road.
Valued at more than 4.645 billion baht, the project will be financed through a World Bank loan covering 70% of the cost and a 30% contribution from the state budget. It is expected to open to traffic around August or September 2029.
Travel time cut to 15 minutes
Pichit Hunsiri, director-general of the Department of Rural Roads (DRR), said the bridge would reduce a journey that currently takes between 90 minutes and two hours to about 15 minutes.
Drivers must now travel 70–80km around the lake to reach the opposite side, while hiring a boat is prohibitively expensive for many residents.
Pichit said environmental protection was the department’s first priority, with requirements from the environmental impact assessment incorporated into both the construction design and contractual conditions.
“The Department of Rural Roads places the environment first. Information from the environmental impact assessment has been incorporated into the construction design and all requirements in the contract,” he said.
The measures are intended to ensure that construction does not disrupt the ecological balance of Songkhla Lake.
Bridge design preserves navigation routes
Chawalit Tipagornwong, a senior civil engineer and director of Bridge Construction Group 1 at the DRR’s Bureau of Bridge Construction, said the main structure would be an extradosed bridge.
Its longest span will reach 140 metres, reducing the number of piers required in the lake and preserving space for boat traffic.
The navigational opening will provide 18 metres of vertical clearance and be up to 120 metres wide, allowing fishing boats and other community vessels to pass without disrupting existing livelihoods.
The bridge’s pylons will incorporate a design inspired by the hand gesture of a Nora dancer, bringing a distinctive element of southern Thai cultural identity to the structure.
Quieter piling method protects aquatic life
Temporary steel piles for construction platforms will be installed using vibro-hammers rather than conventional impact piling.
The vibration-based technique is intended to reduce noise and ground vibration, limiting disruption to aquatic animals and reducing the dispersal of sediment from the lake bed.
Silt curtains will be installed before piles are inserted or removed to prevent disturbed sediment and underwater pollution from spreading beyond the construction area.
Work to stop when dolphins enter monitored zone
The environmental monitoring system will include underwater acoustic recorders at 48 locations covering 60 square kilometres, together with aerial drone surveys.
The equipment will monitor rare wildlife, particularly Irrawaddy dolphins, throughout the year.
Construction will be halted immediately if a dolphin is detected within a designated surveillance zone measuring 350 by 600 metres.
Residents anticipate new economic opportunities
Charoon Noisamlee, a resident of Moo 9, said most people in the area depended on fishing and agriculture.
He said residents had been hearing about the bridge for a decade and expected it to make journeys between communities easier while improving access to markets for agricultural produce.
“I have heard about this project for 10 years. I am very pleased that development is finally coming because it will make travel more convenient and agricultural produce easier to sell,” Charoon said.
The project seeks to demonstrate how a major transport link can improve mobility and economic opportunities while incorporating safeguards for the environment, traditional livelihoods and local cultural identity.
