A public-private partnership committee has given the green light to the Highways Department to open bidding for the construction of rest areas on the M6 and M81 motorways, worth 15.9 billion baht, and the operation and maintenance (O&M) co-investment of the M82 Motorway.
Sarawut Songsiwilai, director-general of the Department of Highways, said the committee issued a resolution allowing private companies to develop and run the rest stops along the M6 from Bang Pa-in district in Ayutthaya to Nakhon Ratchasima and the M81 from Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi.
The committee will grant a 32-year operation and maintenance contract to private companies who will be responsible for rest stop construction and maintenance during the concession, said Mr Sarawut.
The committee also approved the O&M co-investment plan on the M82, which is a 29-billion-baht elevated motorway project above Rama II Road, linking Bangkok's Bang Khunthian district to Ban Phaeo district of Samut Sakhon.
"The M82 Motorway will ease traffic on the jammed Rama II Road and improve land transport to the south of Thailand. Rest stops will also encourage safe driving and support transport infrastructure along the highways," he said.
On the issues related to delayed construction projects on Rama II Road, Mr Sarawut said the department has ordered construction companies to speed up work so as to ease congestion along the route, as more than 200,000 cars travel on Rama II Road daily.
Mr Sarawut said the highway expansion project on Rama II Road from 10 lanes to 14 lanes was completed last year while adding that construction of the M82 Motorway will be completed in 2024.
He said if contractors cannot finish the construction project in time, the department will terminate the construction contract.
