Phuket Lawmaker Pushes Government to Speed Up Katu-Patong Expressway
A Phuket lawmaker urges the government to accelerate the long-delayed Katu-Patong expressway project, which residents have awaited over 30 years as traffic congestion between the two areas continues to burden the economy. The Expressway Aut
The Katu-Patong expressway remains one of Phuket's most critical infrastructure projects, with residents having waited for it for over 30 years. Traffic congestion between Katu and Patong, particularly on the mountain pass route, has continuously affected residents, tourists, and the provincial economy.
Chaleompong Saengdi, a Democrat Party member of parliament for Phuket District 2, says he has repeatedly raised questions in parliament and urged the government to move forward with the project, viewing it as essential infrastructure for the province. However, the project has suffered repeated delays as plans have been reviewed and revised multiple times, including changes to design, construction methods, tunnel structure, and contractor procurement processes. Each revision has extended the waiting period for residents.
Previous designs specified the Naka Kaied tunnel at approximately 17.10 meters wide to accommodate four lanes per direction and span about 1.85 kilometers. The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) recently reduced the tunnel width to approximately 14-14.2 meters, citing improved safety, reduced construction risk, and cost control amid rising material and labor costs. The redesign is expected to save approximately 1 billion baht while maintaining the planned number of lanes.
Chaleompong supports the redesign if it has solid engineering justification and safety benefits, but calls for clarity on how much time the review process consumed and how much it delayed the project. He emphasizes that for residents, design changes mean longer waits, increased travel time, higher transportation costs, and continued traffic problems on existing routes.
EXAT has recently revived efforts to push the project forward, proposing reduced toll rates of approximately 10 baht for motorcycles and 20 baht for cars, with the tunnel expected to reduce crossing time from about 30 minutes to approximately 5 minutes. Chaleompong welcomes the renewed momentum and agrees with the proposed toll levels, noting the expressway should serve all Phuket residents, not just tourists or businesses, and should not become an excessive financial burden.
