New Malaysia-Thailand Bridge To Cost RM21M, Construction Starts Next April

According to Trakul Thotham, the governor of Narathiwat, construction on a new bridge between Malaysia and Thailand in the southernmost Thai province of Narathiwat and Sungai Kolok is scheduled to begin in April of next year.

Thotham shared this information with a delegation from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which visited Thailand's southernmost provinces to examine collaboration potential in the Muslim majority region.

The governor stated that the start of construction is reliant on the completion of the environmental impact assessment (EIA).

According to Narathiwat's public relations office, the new bridge intends to boost commercial and tourism activity between both nations..

The new bridge, approved back in 2009 to alleviate traffic congestion on the old bridge, would span across Sungai Kolok and will be built parallel to the current bridge, with a road surface twice as broad to better accommodate traffic flow.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai indicated last week that the environmental impact assessment for the new bridge's construction is expected to be finished by Sept of this year.

The Thai government has given THB160 million (RM21 million) to this project, with construction costs divided evenly by the two countries.