New road construction project in the Bang Yai - Salaya area.
The Future of the Bang Yai-Salaya Area: New Roads to Improve Transportation for Residents Inside?
Those living in the northern part of Thonburi will notice a long line of north-south roads in Bangkok, stretching from Ratchaphruek Road, Phutthamonthon สาย 1-2-3-4-5, and the Kanchanaphisek Ring Road.
However, all of these Phutthamonthon roads terminate at the Southern Railway line, along the Maha Sawat Canal, which forms the boundary between Bangkok and Nonthaburi province. This leaves residents on the Nonthaburi side with only small, winding roads crisscrossing communities, lacking any major thoroughfares besides the Kanchanaphisek Ring Road.
Today, I've researched and compiled information to show you which agencies plan to construct roads in this area in the future. This will give those planning to buy a house or those already living in the area a clearer picture of the locations of the planned new main roads. In summary, there are four main roads planned:
Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road - M81 Motorway
Project Owner: Department of Highways
Status: Currently undergoing EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), planned completion in 2030.
This project will be an 8-lane road extending Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road northward. It will cross the railway tracks, cross the Maha Sawat Canal, and then connect directly to the Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi Motorway. An additional motorway on/off ramp will be constructed here, replacing the current ramps located in Bang Yai and Nakhon Chai Si.
The detailed survey and design of the project have been completed. The EIA report will be reviewed this year, and land expropriation will begin in 2025-2026. Construction is scheduled to begin between 2027 and 2030, with the road expected to open for service by 2030.
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Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road - Highway 340 (Bang Bua Thong - Suphan Buri)
Project Owner: Department of Rural Roads
Status: In the planning stages, with design surveys completed in 2022.
This project will extend Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road northward. It will be a major 6-10 lane road, continuing northward slightly westward, passing Krung Non-Chong Thanon Road, overlapping some sections of Soi Wat Phra Ngern, intersecting with Nakhon In-Salaya Road (which we will discuss later), then crossing the M81 Motorway without any toll booths, continuing northward, passing Wat Lat Pla Duk Road, crossing the Maha Sawat Canal, and intersecting with Bang Kruai-Sai Noi Road. And it terminates at Highway 340, with a total distance of approximately 25.5 kilometers.
This project underwent design studies during 2021-2022. It is currently in the future plans of the Department of Rural Roads.
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Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Road - Highway 340 (Bang Bua Thong - Suphan Buri)
Project Owner: No information available.
Status: This route is included in the Nonthaburi Comprehensive City Plan 2023.
This project will extend Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Road northward, parallel to Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road, terminating at Highway 340, similar to the previous point. The route appears in the Nonthaburi Comprehensive City Plan 2023 as road number "J.2," which has a 40-meter right-of-way. However, our research has not found any information indicating which agency has undertaken the planning and construction.
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Nakhon In Road - Salaya
Project Owner: Department of Rural Roads
Status: Preparing for Phase 1 Land Expropriation in 2024
This project will extend Nakhon In Road from Bang Yai westward to Salaya, connecting to Rural Road No. 3004 (Salaya-Bang Phasi Road). It will be approximately 12 kilometers long with 6 lanes. Previously, design studies and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) have been completed, and a Royal Decree for land expropriation was issued in 2021. Currently, there is no budget for land expropriation, so progress has been slow.
However, the latest news from the Department of Rural Roads indicates that they are requesting a budget for 2024 to expropriate some land. The first phase will cover 3.7 kilometers, from Kanchanaphisek Road, crossing the Mahasawat Canal, to the intersection with Soi Wat Phra Ngoen, near Supalai Ville Wongwaen Pinklao-Nakhon In. Construction of this first phase is expected to begin in 2025.
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In addition to the major road network in the Bang Yai-Salaya area, there are also interesting nearby projects on the Bangkok side.
For example:
The elevated parallel road extension and improvement project on Borommaratchachonnani Road.
Project owner: Department of Highways
Status: Currently undergoing improvements to various intersections and construction of a bridge over the Nakhon Chai Si River.
Borommaratchachonnani Road (Highway 338) is a major road used by many traveling to the western region. Currently, due to urban expansion, this road experiences heavy traffic and congestion. Therefore, a project is being studied to expand the road's capacity, including extending the elevated parallel road to Nakhon Chai Si, and in the future, connecting to the M8 Motorway leading to the southern region.
Currently, the Department of Highways has not yet received funding for the elevated parallel road extension. However, improvements to Borommaratchachonnani Road are ongoing, including the construction of bridges over various Phutthamonthon intersections, underpasses along local roads near Central Salaya, and importantly, the construction of a bridge over the Nakhon Chai Si River.
In the future, once the improvements to the road below are completed, It seems the next project is the extension of the elevated parallel road.
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Phran Nok - Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road
Project Owner: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
Status: Under construction, section from Phutthamonthon Sai 2 to Sai 3
This road is a major artery connecting the east-west axis of the northern Thonburi area. Construction has been ongoing for several years, progressing gradually from Fai Chai Intersection to the Kanchanaphisek Ring Road. Later, an extension to Phutthamonthon Sai 2 was opened, and now construction is underway on the extension to Phutthamonthon Sai 3. It should have been completed by March 2023, but construction has been delayed. The BMA now expects completion in April 2024.
The final section, from Phutthamonthon Sai 3 through Thawi Watthana Road to Phutthamonthon Sai 4, has not yet begun. It is expected to await budget allocation in subsequent years.
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These six projects are part of a series of major road construction and improvement projects in the Bang Yai-Salaya area, extending down to the northern Thonburi side. I'm not sure if anyone lives in this area, but what are your thoughts? Is travel convenient these days? Do you want this new road? Or has anyone been affected by the land expropriation? Please share your experiences.
For those concerned about the expropriation area or the road alignment, I've listed the agencies responsible for each route in each point. You can try contacting those agencies directly.
