Chroy Changva Bridge Renovation to Cost Usd33 Million

• 8 September 2017
• Local News
• 3964 Views

The Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge is set to receive a USD33 million renovation and will be closed to traffic starting 15 September.

The bridge is the main traffic artery linking the capital Phnom Penh to the north of the country across the Tonle Sap river and is expected to be closed for approximately two years until July 2019 according to an announcement by City Hall on 4 September. The costs of the renovation are being met through Japanese aid.

Originally constructed in the 1960s and re-opened for traffic in 1995 after being rebuilt by the Japanese, more than 20 years of heavy traffic have taken its toll leaving the bridge requiring urgent repair.

To ease traffic congestion when the bridge is closed, a temporary steel bridge will be built spanning the Tonle Sap river and linking Ruessey Keo and Chroy Chongva. Construction work and costs for this temporary bridge are to be met by the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) and the bridge will be taken down once renovations on the Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge are complete.

Longer term, a new permanent bridge is expected to be built in the same place as the temporary bridge to connect to the Chroy Changva satellite city.