T RAFFIC between the capital and Sihanoukville was paralyzed on July 8 when a

bridge on Route 4 approximately 140 km north of the port totally

collapsed.

According to villagers the span at Koang simply gave way under

the weight of a truck, pictured left, and no sabotage was involved.

The

bridge had only been reopened for a short time after collapsing in the middle of

last month, again when it was unable to support a truck.

Route 4 is the

most direct and safest highway for lorries bringing containers out of the port -

about 1,000 are handled per month.

Enterprising locals set up

mini-markets either side of the river for travellers forced to make a stop,

while boat owners charged up to 1,500 riel per person to ferry them across.

Taxi drivers between the two cities continued operating but took

passengers as far as the bridge for half price and then waited to pick up others

heading in the opposite direction after they had made the crossing.