Agency wants motorway built on PPP

Director-general Suphoth Sublom said yesterday that the department would consult with the Public Debt Management Office on the method of investment.

The department considers PPP to be the appropriate method, which would see the private sector investing in the construction while the state agency would manage and collect revenue for the private operator.

The method would not therefore be an additional burden on the public debt, he said.

"We have to ask the Council of State Office to examine the legal aspects and whether investment on a PPP basis is possible. If there are no legal problems, construction can begin next year. If the PPP method risks running counter to the law, we'll have to seek loans. Energy funds from China and the United Kingdom have recently shown interest in providing loans for us to build the project," Suphoth added.

If the PPP method is used and proves successful, the department will apply it to four other motorway construction projects, he said.

The department plans to spend a combined Bt140 billion on building five motorways over 10 years, with a total length of 700 kilometres.

They are the Bang Pa-in-Saraburi-Nakon Ratchasima motorway, the Bangyai-Nakhon Pathom-Kanchanaburi motorway, the Chon Buri-Pattaya motorway, the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Sawan motorway, and the Cha-am-Pran Buri motorway.  

The Highways Department plans 68 construction projects next year, of which 48 are new projects and 20 ones still to be finished from this year. The total value is Bt29.2 billion.

The department plans to finish seeking contractors for the new projects during the second quarter of next year.