The Department of Highways is prepared to fully restore the main traffic surface on M82 Rama 2 Road to 100% capacity during daytime starting Monday, 2 Mar 2026 GMT+7. They also revealed an overall project progress of 19 km completed and affirmed efforts to accelerate work while maintaining the highest safety standards.
Mr. Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisan, Director-General of the Department of Highways (DOH), disclosed the latest progress on the M82 expressway project from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaeo, focusing on Section 7 over Tha Chin River Bridge. The damaged beams caused by the LG crane collapse and the temporary scaffolding for the bridge’s balance cantilever concrete work have now been fully dismantled. Consequently, the DOH is ready to reopen the main traffic surface on Rama 2 Road in both directions with three lanes each, fully available during daytime from 05:30 to 20:00, to alleviate traffic congestion and minimize disruption for commuters. Officials have arranged barriers and cleaned the road surface to prepare for full traffic flow starting Monday, 2 March.
However, at night from 20:00 to 05:30, traffic diversion on the main lanes remains necessary to allow work on the Tha Chin River Bridge for dismantling the remaining form traveler steel structures and to improve the detour lanes along the median between kilometer markers 30 and 30+500. This expansion supports the closure of main lanes as part of construction safety measures and structural load testing to prepare for the next step of lifting and installing the remaining precast concrete segments. Should daytime lane closures be required again for segment installation, the DOH will provide advance public notices.
Regarding the overall M82 project from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaeo, spanning 24.6 kilometers, substantial progress has been made. Of the 13 construction sections, nine are fully completed covering approximately 19.13 kilometers. Four remaining sections—numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7—covering about 5.47 kilometers are still under construction. Sections 5 and 6 have reached 96% and 89% completion respectively, with remaining tasks mostly involving structural finishing and safety equipment installation. These are expected to be completed soon in sequence.
Nevertheless, Section 4 still requires some traffic diversions at certain points for user safety, as work continues to expedite the installation of precast concrete segments according to plan. The goal is to reopen the Rama 2 Road surface for smooth traffic before the upcoming Songkran festival.
While Section 7 has temporarily restored the surface lanes on Rama 2 Road during daytime, some elevated structural work remains, including installation of the remaining segments. This work must be completed, with a detailed structural load test underway to assess readiness and safety standards. Traffic detours are being prepared before proceeding with the next stage of segment lifting and installation.
The Department of Highways confirms its readiness to efficiently manage traffic during the remaining construction phases to ensure safety for all road users. Contractors have been instructed to enforce 24-hour safety measures strictly. The DOH is also accelerating construction completion to restore convenient travel for the Rama 2 community and all road users as soon as possible.
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