The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced Mar 20 the signing of $140 million in

concessionary loans to the governments of Cambodia and Vietnam to upgrade 240

kms of Highway 1 between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, according to an ADB

press release.

The upgrades will shorten travel time between the two

cities to six hours and cut truck operating costs by 16 to 20

percent.

ADB says "the project will also improve facilities at the border

and reduce bureaucratic and procedural constraints to cross-border trade,

addressing issues such as vehicle registration, insurance and drivers'

licenses."