Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, this morning presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the country’s first-ever expressway from Phnom Penh capital to the port city of Sihanoukville.
Visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Kong Xuanyou was also present at the groundbreaking ceremony held in Samrong Tong district of Kampong Speu province.
The 190-kilometre-long and 24.5-metre-wide expressway will link village 1 in Sangkat Samrong Krom, Khan Pursenchey of Phnom Penh to village 1 in Sangkat 3 of Sihanoukville, Preah Sihanouk province. The construction would last 48 months and cost some US$2 billion invested by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
According to H.E. Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister and Minister of Public Works and Transport, the expressway, whose feasibility studies have been conducted since 2006, will be built under the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) form.
Cambodia has set up its master plan to build more expressways to boost transport, tourism and trade.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT), by 2020 the country needs to build 850 kilometres of expressways which could cost as much as US$9 billion, and 2,230 kilometres more by the year 2040.
To reach this goal, Cambodia needs an investment capital of at least US$26 billion.