Governor Sophon confirmed the budget figures at a press conference held at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town yesterday (Nov 30).
The press conference was held as a “public relations project to release important policies to promote the image of Phuket tourism,” said an official report of the conference.
The Phuket Highways Office has drawn up the plan to expand the road through Pa Khlok (Route 4027), Governor Sophon explained.
Present yesterday to represent the Phuket Highways Office was engineer Sorasak Tasakarn. Phuket Highways Office Director Yutthana Pitak was not present for the publicity event.
The Pa Khlok road expansion was part of the Phuket HIghways Office highway development plan “to hasten to solve the problem of traffic congestion and expand traffic channels to develop the infrastructure system of Phuket Province”, the report said.
Mr Sorasak explained that in avoiding the major traffic jams on Thepkrasattri Rd by travelling from Phuket Town to the airport via Patong and Kamala, a distance 47.9km, currently takes about one hour and 19 minutes.
Travelling from Patong to the airport along the same route, a distance of 37.9km, currently takes about one hour and seven minutes.
To that end, the expansion of the main road through Pa Khlok (Route 4027) was a viable option.
Governor Sophon explained the Pa Khlok expansion in two parts.
The project to expand the road to four lanes from Baan Para to Baan Muang Mai “to connect tourist attractions safely and conveniently and support the economic and social development of the four-lane expansion area, from km. 14+300 - km. 18+850”, covers a distance of 4.55km, he said.
Construction cost is limited to B510 million, he said.
The current status of the project was that the detailed design stage was completed in 2020. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was approved by the Supervisory Committee for Protected Areas in Phuket Province on Aug 16, 2021.
The budget is to be applied for during the current fiscal year (2024), and the project is expected to open for service in 2026, Governor Sophon said.
The second section of Route 4027 to be expanded was from Muang Mai to the ‘Phuket Airport Intersection’ on Thepkrasattri Rd.
The project requires the construction of a new four-lane road from km.18 850 to km.20+800, and one interchange.
The project covers a distance of 1.95km and construction cost is limited B1.104bn, giving an average cost of B566,153 per metre.
The current status of the project was that the detailed design stage was completed in 2020. The EIA report was approved by the Supervisory Committee for the Protected Areas of Phuket Province also on Aug 16, 2021.
“Currently, the project is in the process of having a proposal prepared to request a waiver of the use of mangrove forest areas from the Cabinet,” Governor Sophon explained.
“If approved, it will propose to issue an Expropriation Act to organise land ownership and construction according to the next steps. It is expected that a budget will be proposed for fiscal year 2026 and the project will be open for service in 2028,” he said.
Governor Sophon also gave a status update on the prject to install an underpass at the Heroines Monument.
In short, the project has stalled.
The detailed design stage of the project ‒ budgeted to cost B2.38bn ‒ was completed in 2022, Governor Sophon said.
The Division of Environmental Impact Assessment Development, under the Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning reviewed the EIA report for the first time on Aug 11, 2023 ‒ and resolved not to approve the current report, Governor Sohon explained.
Regardless, the budget request is expected to be submitted during fiscal year 2024, with the project opening for service in 2027, Governor Sophon said.
Of note, according to the official report of the press conference, Governor Sophon made no mention of the Patong Tunnel and Muang Mai - Koh Kaew - Kathu Expressway projects, both of which have also stalled.
He also made no mention of any efforts to alleviate the heavy traffic congestion in the Bang Tao, Cherng Talay area, which continues to suffer intense traffic tailbacks, often taking nearly an hour to travel just a few kilometres.