She continued by saying it would follow a route south from Chai Nat and through Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya to Pathum Thani. The cycleway will also double as a tourist trail giving access to Ampawan Temple in Sing Buri, the historic ruins of Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-in Palace.
The estimated cost of building the three-meter-wide cycle path is THB1.5 billion. The width will allow for one lane in each direction. The plan shows it will not follow any roads and no motorised traffic will be permitted to use it. The path will be built out of the same materials along its entire length to ensure uniformity for cyclists.
The path will also incorporate rest stops along its length. The national division of rural roads is responsible for the project. Director Darun Saengchai says surveyors are already mapping out the route and construction should commence some time in 2016 with a scheduled completion date the following year.
Ms Traisuth says this cycleway is the first phase of a 3,000km network that will eventually criss-cross the country. She finished off by saying it was being built in honour of King Bhumibol’s 88th birthday which falls on 5 December 2015.
Thailand to construct 185km long cycle path
News in Asia
The Thai government has confirmed it has given the green light for the construction of a 185km long cycle path. Transport Ministry secretary Soithip Traisuth told reporters on Wednesday that the dedicated cycleway would run across five provinces in the heartland of the nation.