Business owners and residents are breathing a sigh of relief after the City Hall said construction works along a four-kilometre stretch of National Road 1 would wrap up at the end of next month.

According to a notice issued late last week by the Phnom Penh City Hall regarding the traffic detours around National Road 1 and Monivong bridge, the works are 80 percent complete with work currently focused around the Chbar Ampov market precinct, which is generally known for its perpetual traffic congestion problem.

In order to quicken the pace of the construction to meet its intended completion schedule of March 31, the City Hall has implored vehicle owners passing through the area to instead commute on a detour along road Krovat Krong 2 passing into Takhmao city and into Phnom Penh city centre.

As for those travelling from Phnom Penh to National Road 1, they will also be required to travel along the same route.

For the businesses that sit alongside National Road 1 where construction is taking place, the construction is taking a heavy toll.

Owner of Heng Cheng Bakery, Heng Cheng, whose store front has been hidden from sight by a large screen covering the construction site, complained, “Ever since December 10 last year, my bakery hasn’t been as profitable as it had been because of the road blockage. Only motorbikes can access the shop now.”

She continued, “The revenue right now is only 20 percent of what the store had generated before the construction started.”

“But we still rejoiced when we heard the City Hall would be completing the project at the end of March.”

Hong Pov, commune chief of Chbar Ampov 1, informed Post Property via phone yesterday: “From what I know, even if there are some business disturbances, the residents would still be happy that the project will be completed in the near future. And we hope that their businesses will flourish after the road is completed.”

“Other than a nice clean road, the residents will also receive clean water, courtesy of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA).”

Pov assured there would be no further grievances caused to drivers once the construction is complete.

“After the construction of the road, there will be no more road digging for any other purposes. That’s why this road segment is taking such a long time to be completed, since time is needed to equip the road with a sewage system,” he said.