In the first nine days of the free month-long trial of Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, more than 100,000 vehicles passed through, with officials recording a steady increase in the number of travellers to the coastal province.

In early October, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration had announced about 110,000 local and international tourists visited Sihanoukville over the weekend. The increase in tourists was attributed to the launch of the expressway, along with improved infrastructure, security and beautiful scenic.

The administration spokesman Long Dimanche claimed that it was unexpected that more than 100,000 tourists visiting the province on a non-national holiday during weekend. The provincial administration has instructed all officials and relevant departments to pay close attention to the safety of people visiting Sihanoukville.

“This trend is very exciting for us. In the past we would only receive this number of visitors on occasions such as Pchum Ben or Khmer New Year. For us to see this many tourists on a regular weekend is unprecedented. The public seem to be very pleased with the new expressway, especially while it is free of charge,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport have declared the expressway is free to use in the month of October. Drivers will be charged $12 for one-way trip in in first year of operation.

Approx. 200km road through Kandal, Kampong Speu and Koh Kong provinces will takes about two hours to travel from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, compare in the past of four to six hours journey via National Road 4.

Ministry representative Heang Sotheayuth told the source that up to 16,000 vehicles had daily used the new road. He claimed that the use of the expressway continued to increase, many keen to experience the new road to visit local tourist destinations.

The teams patrolling the expressway had addressed several minor issues about the traffic congestion during weekend, as there were several occasion that animals getting onto the road’s verges. The authorities have advised people not to cut fences or graze cattle alongside the road. Education campaign is require some time and understanding.