Koh Thom bridge opens

• 9 March 2017
• Local News
• 3444 Views

The new Koh Thom bridge which links south Phnom Penh to the Vietnamese border officially opened to commuters in February after three years of construction.

Inaugurated on 13 February and formally known as the Cambodia-China Friendship Koh Thom Bridge, the new bridge is located in Koh Thom District, Kandal Province and spans the Tonle Bassac River about 60km south of the capital. It links National Road No. 110 in Prek Thmey Village, Chroy Takeo Commune to National Road No. 21 in Koh Thom\’s Prek Sdey Commune.

The 415-metre long bridge was built was built through a concessional loan agreement of USD19.4 million provided by China to Cambodia (Koh Thom Bridge Project) under the framework agreement signed in April 2013. The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) was the project contractor.

Speaking at the official opening event, Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen said the bridge served as an alternative mode of transportation for locals who previously had to rely on expensive and unsafe ferries to cross the river as well as enhancing the economic development of Kandal province.

“The bridge here is indeed a great benefit for those who reside in the construction area of Koh Thom district directly but also for other people’s interest. We have built the bridge for the sake of serving our people’s needs,” the Prime Minister said.

He explained that between Ta Khmao in Kandal Province to the Vietnamese border, there are about 70 bridges and that Chinese support has played a strong role in this infrastructure development as the part of the Chinese government’s initiatives to merge the region.

“Connecting inside the country and connectivity with neighboring countries and in the region is not a separate policy of Cambodia. It is also a policy that is covering the whole region, and especially that of the H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, and the ‘One belt, one road” or the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road…” he said, also noting that he will attend a high level meeting with Chinese leaders on 13-14 May.

The Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Xiong Bo reported that to date about 2,600km of roads and seven large-scale bridges had been built in Cambodia under China\’s concessional loans. There are more infrastructure projects in the pipeline.

Chinese support has played a major part in terms nationwide infrastructure development through concessional loans and grants to Cambodia 

Project Details:

• Donor: China

• Recipient Countries:

• Cambodia (Kandal)

• Commitment Year: 2013

• Total Amount (USD-2009): —

• CRS Sector: Transport and Storage

• Flow Type: Loan (excluding debt rescheduling)

• Flow Class: ODA-like (Arbitrated)

• Scope: Official finance

• Verified: Checked

• Intent: Development

• Status: Implementation

• Sector Comment: Road transport

Dates:

• Start (Planned): 19 June 2013

• Start (Actual): 25 March 2013

• End (Planned): 19 June 2020

• End (Actual): —

Loan Details:

• Loan Type: Concessional

• Interest Rate: 1.25 %

• Maturity: 13.0 0

• Grace Period: 7.0 0

Transactions:

• No deflatable value yet (126,000,000.00 CNY, USD in 2013)

Participating Organisations:

• Export-Import Bank of China Role: Funding Origin: Donor

• China Road and Bridge Corporation Role: Implementing Origin: Dono