Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha officially opened the Pattaya-Maptaphut extension of Highway 7 that shortens travel time to U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya Airport.
Toll booths in Huay Yai and Khao Chee-On are complete, but Prayut said Aug. 24 that the extension would remain toll-free until October.
The trip from Bangkok to U-Tapao, about 125 kilometers, can be done in as little as 90 minutes, said Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob.
Tolls for regular cars will be 1 baht per kilometer, increasing to as much as 2.3 baht a kilometer for commercial vehicles. Officials expect more than 30,000 vehicles a day to use the industrial-area section of Highway 7.
Future construction will see Highway 7 connecting to Sukhumvit Road at U-Tapao with roadwork likely to begin in 2022.
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