The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) is looking into seven different routes for a motorway that will connect the resort island of Koh Samui to the mainland of Surat Thani, a coastal province in the Gulf of Thailand.
The project will hold its first public hearing on Monday, when the authorities will outline the benefits and drawbacks of each route to inhabitants of the Don Sak, Khanom, and Koh Samui districts, where construction may take place.
Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk stated that the public hearing sessions will cover subjects such as investment worthiness and economic and environmental repercussions.
He went on to say that the motorway will considerably enhance tourism and cargo movement to Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. Currently, the 236-square-kilometer island can only be accessible by air or sea.
Exat predicted that construction might begin in March 2025, following the completion of public hearing sessions and an environmental impact assessment for the route chosen.
The seven proposed routes range in length from 22 to 29 kilometers and will connect highways 4142 in Don Sak district or 4044 in Khanom district to various areas of highway 4170 in Koh Samui district.
According to Surachet, the route should be open to the public by 2032
READ MORE https://www.exat.co.th/en/
