Phnom Penh (FN), Dec. 20 – Finished studying Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway, Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said Thursday that the 130km-expressway connecting Phnom Penh and Bavet on the border with Vietnam will come at a cost of $3.8 billion, addressing at the inauguration ceremony of the LM17 port terminal phase II in Kandal Province.

The expressway will take approximately six years to complete; successfully built, it will boost regional trade, connectivity, development, and tourism.

Sun Chanthol said the 132km Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway is costly, as about 80km will have to cross many lakes and floodplains, compared to the construction of 190km highway from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, which costs only approximately $2 billion.

“The cost is so expensive, so the government has not decided whether to build yet,” the minister said adding that, “we are finding partner.”

According to the minister, JICA is also studying Phnom Penh to build a sky train to reduce traffic congestion in Phnom Penh, which will cost $1.2 billion.

Senior Minister Sun Chanthol reassured that the Royal Government of Cambodia continued to build more infrastructures, especially strategic planning, focusing on the development of railway and waterway transportation to facilitate traffic and services.

Expressway is a key project to enhance connectivity with ASEAN neighbors, and once completed will link the kingdom to the Ho Chi Minh-Moc Bai International border gate in Vietnam.

By 2020, Cambodia needs 850km of expressway, which could cost approximately $9 billion, according to Cambodia’s Expressway Master Plan.
=FRESH NEWS