Thailand’s Expressway Authority, Exat, said work could start in 2029 on a 30km bridge over the sea between Koh Samui and Surat Thani.
However, the mainland location has not been finalised and the entire project still requires approval from the federal government cabinet, according to a report in the Bangkok Post newspaper. Nonetheless, Surachet Laopoolsuk, head of Exat, reportedly said that the bridge could be open by 2034.
Meanwhile, Exat also plans to develop in two stages a 35km tollway in Phuket. The first stage would involve construction of a tunnel through a mountain between Kathu district and Patong beach. The second stage would be construction of the Kathu-Phuket airport expressway, which is expected to ease the traffic congestion on road 402, the main road linking the provincial centre to the airport and the southern mainland.
