Department of Highways Partners with JICA to Visit Route 225 Tunnel Project Site, Aiming to Exchange Knowledge and Enhance Tunnel Engineering Capacity
The Department of Highways moves forward with a site visit to study the feasibility of a mountain tunnel project on Highway No. 225, collaborating with experts from JICA to exchange knowledge and enhance the capacity of tunnel engineering personnel to support future project development.
Mr. Attasit Sawadpanich, Chief Engineer for Research and Development, as the Chairman of the Working Group for the Preliminary Feasibility Study on Engineering, Economics, Environment, and Conceptual Design for the Highway No. 225 Mountain Tunnel Construction Project, led the working group alongside local agencies of the Department of Highways. These included Highway Office 6 (Phetchabun), Highway Office 7 (Khon Kaen), Highway Office 10 (Nakhon Ratchasima), and Phetchabun Highway District 2 (Bueng Sam Phan). They joined with experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), led by Professor Kawata Kosuke, along with Mr. Tomita Teppei, Mr. Ogawa Junichiro, and Mr. Nakamura Tsukasa, to conduct a field study and site survey of the project area between June 23 and 25, 2026.
Missions of the Working Group
The working group’s primary mission is to conduct a comprehensive preliminary feasibility study for the mountain tunnel construction project. This covers the preliminary feasibility, economic, and environmental studies, as well as the conceptual design for roadwork, structural work, and tunneling. It also includes evaluating appropriate construction methods, risk management, and preliminary cost estimation, ensuring that the study results serve as a crucial database for determining future project development guidelines.
Highway No. 225 is a vital route connecting the upper central region to the northeastern region. The section passing through the mountainous terrain of Khao Phang Hoei in Chaiyaphum Province is particularly challenging due to its steep topography and travel limitations. These include poor visibility, safety concerns, landslide risks, and heavy traffic conditions on the mountain pass. Consequently, the working group selected this route as a Sandbox Project to develop the Department of Highways' conceptual design for mountain tunnels.
Additionally, the working group and JICA experts hosted a Mini Technical Seminar to exchange knowledge and experience regarding the planning, design, construction, and management of mountain tunnels. The JICA experts provided valuable recommendations on engineering, safety, environment, and risk management, which will help shape efficient project development guidelines aligned with international standards.
Studying the Thai-China High-Speed Railway Project in Nakhon Ratchasima
The working group also visited the Khlong Phai Tunnel site under the Thai-China High-Speed Railway Project in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, managed by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The purpose of this visit was to learn about tunnel design, construction, and management from an ongoing, real-world project, as well as to exchange experiences with on-site practitioners. The team aims to apply this acquired knowledge to the feasibility study and future development of the Highway No. 225 mountain tunnel project.