The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. Total budget for the project is estimated at USD 1.4 billion.

The signing ceremony was held on May 18, under the chairmanship of public works and transport minister Sun Chanthol and Zhou Yong, representative of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

Chanthol explained that the four-lane expressway would stretch for approximately 135km.

It will construct a bridge across the Mekong River in Dei Ith commune. The 3.7km bridge will link the capital’s third ring road to Kandal province’s Lvea Em district. 

"The release of state funds for the construction of the bridge is in line with the wishes of Prime Minister Hun Sen. If the bridge was built by the CRBC company, tolls would be charged for its use which Samdech did not want to see that happen,” he said.

“We signed a public-private partnership agreement so the work was clearly divided between us,” he added.

He concluded that Prime Minister Hun Sen was expected to officiate over a June 7 ground breaking. The project is expected to be completed in four years, to coincide with the completion of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh-Bavet Expressway, which it will link to.

Yong thanked the Cambodian government, as well as the public works ministry, for expressing their confidence in the company’s ability to deliver the expressway.

“We promise to ensure that the quality of construction matches the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, which previously had completed. This will be our second expressway project in Cambodia, and we will equip with advance technology we have in order to ensure that the project is completed on time, and to the complete satisfaction of the people of Cambodia,” he said.

Economic and financial analyst Ngeth Chou expressed his support for the government's participation, as it will reduce people’s travel costs.

He believed that such kind of infrastructure investment benefited the people as a whole, not just the economy.

In addition, he noted that the expressway will play a major role in connecting China to Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.