Accelerate the development of the transportation network, expand Highway 340 Bang Bua Thong-Suphan Buri route.

The Department of Highways is accelerating the development of the transportation network, expanding Highway 340 Bang Bua Thong-Suphan Buri to 6 traffic lanes, increasing the efficiency of travel to the North, emphasizing a traffic management plan that is smooth and safe. Mr. Apirat Chaiwongnoi, Director-General of the Department of Highways (DoH), Ministry of Transport, revealed that the Department of Highways is committed to developing the country's transportation network to be efficient. It is expediting the construction project of Highway No. 340, Ban Sali - Suphan Buri route, to upgrade the main route connecting the regions, increase travel efficiency, and facilitate the public, especially traveling to the North. Highway No. 340 Bang Bua Thong - Suphan Buri is a main route that people like to travel from Bangkok through Suphan Buri, Chai Nat, heading to many provinces in the North. This highway has been built for more than 30 years. The Department of Highways has been renovating and improving it all th e time. However, due to the current increase in traffic volume and the highway being affected by flooding, causing damage in many places, the Department of Highways, by the Highway Construction Office 1, has proceeded with the construction of Highway No. 340, Ban Sali - Suphan Buri, between Km. 48+841 to Km. 65+600, totaling a distance of 16.459 kilometers, in the areas of Bang Pla Ma District and Mueang Suphan Buri District, Suphan Buri Province, divided into 2 sections: 1. Construction project of Highway No. 340, Ban Sali - Suphan Buri, Section 1, between Km.48+841 - Km.57+250, total distance 8.409 kilometers, constructed by S.K.Y. Construction Co., Ltd., contract start date 13 September 2024 and contract end date 28 August 2027, construction period 1,080 days, budget 686,761,000 baht. 2. Construction project of Highway No. 340, Ban Sali - Suphan Buri, Section 2, between Km. 57+250 - Km. 65+600, total distance 8.350 kilometers, constructed by CTTP Joint Venture, contract starts on September 18, 2024 and e nds on September 2, 2027, construction period 1,080 days, budget 689,596,000 baht. The construction project of Highway No. 340, Ban Sali - Suphan Buri, is an upgrade of the highway standard to a special class. The construction is to expand the traffic lanes from the original 4 lanes to 6 lanes (round trip), each lane is 3.50 meters wide, with an outer shoulder of 2.50 meters wide and an inner shoulder of 1.50 meters wide, dividing the traffic direction with a depressed median, with a 35-centimeter thick concrete surface. Three reinforced concrete bridges are constructed at Km. 52+972, 300 meters long, Km. 54+550, 100 meters long, and Km. 57+633, 296 meters long, along with the installation of lighting and flashing lights along the highway. The Director-General of the Department of Highways added that in the implementation of the project, it is necessary to close traffic in each direction (at intervals) and divert traffic to the opposite lane on the other side. Although travel on Highway No. 340 can still be carried out as usual, it is expected that there will be traffic congestion, especially during holidays. Therefore, to reduce the impact on traffic during the construction, the project manager has been assigned to hold a meeting with relevant agencies and community leaders to determine alternative routes and plan public relations through various media to inform the public and plan travel in advance. The Department of Highways will continuously publicize information through various media and arrange officers to facilitate travel and provide information services. The public can inquire for information at the 12th Highway Office, the 1st Suphan Buri Highway District, the local Highway Division, and the Department of Highways hotline 1586 (free call on all networks 24 hours a day). When the project is completed, it will help increase the efficiency of the highway network, support the increasing traffic volume, reduce traffic congestion, improve travel safety, and help stimulate the economy, trade and investment i n the area, in line with the Ministry of Transport's policy in developing the country's transportation infrastructure. Source: Thai News Agency