The Asian Development Bank ( ADB ) and the Government of Thailand have signed a US$68.74 million loan agreement to provide resilient connectivity infrastructure to the U-Tapao Airport in the Eastern Economic Corridor ( EEC ), a manufacturing and innovation hub in eastern Thailand.

The agreement was signed by Thailand deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat and ADB country director for Thailand Anouj Mehta. Representatives from the Public Debt Management Office under the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Highways ( DOH ) under the Ministry of Transport witnessed the signing ceremony in Bangkok.

The project will provide key access roads to the U-Tapao International Airport by constructing a 1.92-kilometre extension of Intercity Motorway No. 7 and expanding a 5.65km section of National Highway No. 3 from the Bang Phai River in the west to Motorway No. 7 interchange in the east. The project will also support the development of climate impact monitoring systems, managed by the DOH, and contribute to the country’s transition to a low-carbon transport system.

“To ensure resilient infrastructure in Thailand, ADB aims to mitigate the key risks linked to rising temperatures and increasing precipitation in the design and construction of the roads,” says Mehta. “This project will use green cement and adopt a ‘green campsite’ concept for onsite construction facilities, which incorporates solar panels, energy storage systems, and appropriate waste and water management.”

The complete road construction will provide a sustainable land transport network and support the multimodal transport connecting rail, road, and air transport linkage in the EEC, where industries such as smart electronics, agriculture and biotechnology, health care, and digital services are located.