Details on when two new bridges linking to the villages of Areyskat and Svay Chrum will be constructed remain hazy despite government assurances on the development.

Va Simsorya, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, recently told Post Property that the schedule of the new bridges had been changed. However, he refused to elaborate or give specific details on the construction timeframe of the bridges.

Ministry of Public Work and Transport spokesman Nou Vathanak said a Chinese company was still carrying out studies on the specific location of the new bridges.

“When construction will start is unclear,” he said. “However, the bridges will be constructed in the short future.”

When built, bridge number one will connect the Kdey Ta Kdoy area along National Road 1 to Areyksat village while the second bridge will start in the Chroy Changvar area and end in the Svay Chrom village in Kandal.

Speculation surrounding the bridges has been rife since the government confirmed plans to construct two bridges to link the Svay Chrum and Areyksat villages to mainland Phnom Penh in early March. News of the infrastructure proposal temporarily spiked up land prices in the areas of both villages.

Kim Heang, president of the Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association, said the announcement of the bridges from the government resulted in land prices in the two areas rising from $200 to $400 per square metre for a short period of time

He added, “Generally, the faster we have the bridges, the better. However, even after the bridges are built, the land prices won’t go any higher because they would have already reached the peak.”

Chrek Soknim, CEO of Century 21 Mekong, said recent ambiguity relating to the construction start dates of the two bridges had seen land prices in Svay Chrum and Areyskat fall marginally.

“The sooner the bridge is built, the better, as it will boost the development trend in the surrounding areas as additional investment was already made in those areas after the announcement of the new bridges by the government.”