Kingdom’s First Expressway Opened for Traffic, Second Set to Begin Construction in 2023

• 1 November 2022
• Local News
• 2176 Views

The 187km Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville expressway, the first of its kind in Cambodia, opened for traffic on 1 October with a 1-month toll-free trial, marking a major achievement in infrastructure development.

The route will play a key role in boosting the country’s logistical efficiency by reducing the time and costs involved in the transportation of goods. The expressway cuts the commuting time between the two economic poles of the country, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, from 5-6 hours to only over 2 hours.

Fully paved with asphalt concrete, the road is two lanes wide in each direction plus a side lane for emergency use on each shoulder. From 1-7 October, the total traffic volume on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway reached 80,231 vehicles. On average, the daily traffic volume was about 11,460.

With ground broken in March 2019, this major infrastructure project was undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) with an investment of over US$2 billion under a build-operate-transfer scheme for 50 years.

The company used US$600 million of its own funds while the remaining US$1.4 billion came in the form of loans from China Bank. In addition, the project also used US$150 million in grant aid from the People’s Republic of China.

“The project is one thing we hope will push our economic poles connecting Phnom Penh and Cambodia’s coast to become a gateway of economic growth, that is what we want it to be,” said Prime Minister Hun Seun during the ground-breaking.

Besides this project, the Cambodian government will soon build a second expressway connecting Phnom Penh to the Vietnamese border Bavet city.

According to preliminary studies, the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway would have a total length of 135km crossing through Kandal, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng provinces before reaching the Cambodia-Vietnam Bavet border gate.

The Cambodian government have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CRBC. The company will study and prepare to sign the concession agreement this year to start construction by mid-2023, according to Minister of Public Works and Transport HE Sun Chanthol.

Cambodia and Vietnam have also already signed an agreement on the connection point between Cambodia’s Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway and Vietnam’s Moc Bai-HCMC expressway. The Vietnamese side will also soon start the construction of the Moc Bai-HCMC expressway.

An inter-ministerial committee was also established to accelerate the work with HE Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister, Minister of Public Works and Transport, appointed as Chairman. Three senior officials from relevant ministries have been appointed as three deputy chairmen along with other 15 members.

This inter-ministerial committee is tasked to review and advise on the procedures, legal framework, and overall view of the investment in the Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway project.

• Road and Infrastructure