Koh Lanta bridge construction due to begin on November 14
The ฿1.78 billion mainland link is expected to open in 2029, easing reliance on vehicle ferries.
Work on a 2.24-kilometre bridge connecting Krabi’s Koh Lanta to the mainland is scheduled to begin on November 14, Deputy Transport Minister Sanpetch Boonyamanee said. The Department of Rural Roads plans to authorise construction that day, with the ฿1.78 billion project expected to take about three years.
The cable-stayed crossing will carry two lanes and have a main span of up to 200 metres. It is expected to reduce the sea crossing to about two minutes. Motorists heading to Koh Lanta Yai currently use a ferry to reach Koh Lanta Noi before continuing over the Siri Lanta Bridge. The Nation reported peak-time ferry queues of two to three hours.
Sanpetch said the new connection would improve safety and convenience for travellers and freight, while making medical services and emergency assistance easier to reach. Drivers will continue relying on the ferry pending the bridge’s expected opening in 2029.
A separate bridge across Songkhla Lake is scheduled to start work on the same date. Costing about ฿4.6 billion, it will extend about 7 kilometres, linking Krasae Sin district, Songkhla, with Khao Chaison district, Phatthalung. Sanpetch said journeys would fall from almost two hours to 15–30 minutes. On July 7, the Cabinet approved a ฿4.55 billion World Bank loan and a ฿129.30 million grant for the two projects.
