M82 Motorway Opens Free in August After Decades of Construction
The 25-kilometer M82 motorway will open toll-free in August after nearly three decades of construction, stretching from Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian to Samut Sakhon Province to ease congestion on Rama II Road toward southern Thailand.
A landmark construction project on Rama II Road is nearing completion. The M82 motorway stretching 25 kilometers from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaew will open for free service in August, with the Department of Highways currently 98% finished on the work. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn announced this as a priority policy to be completed this year, relieving long-standing congestion on Rama II Road and facilitating smoother travel to southern Thailand.
Two major construction projects are currently underway: the Rama III-Dao Khanong Western Ring Road expressway and the M82 motorway. Department of Highways Director-General Piypong Jiwattanakul revealed that M82 will begin operations between August 21-28, with full service expected within weeks. The 25-kilometer elevated six-lane motorway will be built down the center of Rama II Road, starting from the Bang Khun Thian interchange and ending in Ban Phaew, Samut Sakhon Province. The remaining 2% of construction will be completed before opening.
The motorway will operate toll-free for approximately two years until the O&M system installation is finished. The 1,037-million-baht O&M system installation is currently under private sector proposal evaluation through a PPP contract, with signing expected by late 2026. The system should be operational by 2027-2028, with toll collection beginning in 2029 using the M-Flow system, matching M82's technology for seamless connectivity. The project includes six toll plazas at Panthai Narassingha, Mahachai 1-2, Samut Sakhon 1-2, and Ban Phaew.
Construction was divided into two phases: Phase 1 (Bang Khun Thian-Ekamai) cost 10.5 billion baht across three contracts, while Phase 2 (Ekamai-Ban Phaew) cost 18.759 billion baht across ten contracts, funded by motorway toll revenues. The parallel Rama III-Dao Khanong Western Ring Road project spans 18.7 kilometers with a 31.244-billion-baht budget, currently 94.83% complete, targeting trial operation by end-2026 and full toll collection by mid-2027.
