A planned temporary bridge north of the Cambodia-Japan-Friendship Bridge will be replaced by a large and permanent cable-stayed bridge once renovation of the latter bridge is complete, a City Hall spokesman said yesterday.

Met Measpheakdey said the municipality was working with the Overseas Cambodian Investment Company (OCIC) to in July start building a temporary iron bridge across the Tonle Sap river about 2.5 kilometres north of the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge – also known as the Chroy Changvar bridge.

One side of the old bridge will be closed for two years of renovations, and the temporary bridge is expected to be finished in six months and help ease traffic, he said. It will then be replaced with a permanent new bridge.

“After the renovation of the Chroy Changvar Bridge is finished, the temporary iron bridge will be . . . replaced with a cable-stayed bridge,” Measpheakdey said. “All the construction expenses are in the responsibility of the OCIC.”

OCIC Vice President Touch Samnang explained that OCIC would bear the costs because the bridge because it was part of the city’s “master plan” to connect the city to the eastern side of the river where they have a development project.

The company has a development that extends from the roundabout at the base of the Chroy Changvar bridge.

“In the area, there is no impact on the houses of the people, so it’s easy to build the bridge,” Samnang said, declining to provide the cost of the new bridge.