Construction is underway to
build tollbooths along the Pattaya-Chonburi Highway.
Urasin Khantaraphan & Surasak Huasoon
Work has begun on erecting toll booths on the Pattaya-Chonburi
Highway that should become operational by August 2016.
Three toll booths are planned at the Pattaya interchange near the Regent’s
School, the Laem Chabang interchange and Bangpra interchange. The money
collected will be used to pay off construction already begun to widen the
highway and expand it in the port area.
The toll includes construction of new U-turns, concrete barriers and the
booths themselves, as well as installation of the toll-collection system,
which will rely on cards to meter fares.
Work began Nov. 1 on the fare-collection system, traffic control system and
public works. Buildings slated to go up include the main control building,
one sub-control annex and two toll canopies.
All Motorway Corp was given the 4 billion baht contract from the Expressway
Authority of Thailand and will do all the work, including construction of
the reinforced concrete and asphalt roads.
Currently, the project is about 20 percent complete with work currently
being done on the main control building - a two-story reinforced-concrete
structure - and the two-story annex.
The Pattaya-Chonburi Highway is a portion of Highway 7 connecting Chonburi
Province with Bangkok. It has been free to use since its opening in 2010.
Officials said Pattaya residents are most concerned about the imposition of
tolls along the eight kilometers of the highway that connect to Sukhumvit
Road and dramatically shorten the commute time to the capital.
They said the Sukhumvit section of the expressway would still be exempted
from tolls until all road improvements are complete.
Noting the importance of Highway 7 to the local port and logistics
industries, as well as the nation’s export-driven economy, Officials
classified the road improvements not only as necessary, but measures that
will increase safety for drivers.
