The Apsara National Authority (ANA) has announced that it will temporarily allow the use of the Angkor Wat causeway during the upcoming Angkor Sankran celebrations.

“We open the Angkor Wat causeway from April 10 to 23 in order to facilitate the movement of the large numbers of visitors we are expecting on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Angkor Sankran,” said an ANA release.

ANA spokesman Long Kosal said on April 11 that the authority wants to make it as easy as possible for guests to access the ancient temple.

“With Angkor Sankran set to be held during the Khmer New Year, we are predicting large numbers of people to attend. It is imperative that we ease the flow of foot traffic into Angkor Wat,” he added.

Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), said the opening of the 100m causeway is an excellent move, as it offers more viewpoints for visitors to enjoy.

She added that opening the causeway would likely lead to an increase in guests and that she had no safety concerns.

The first phase of the causeway restoration project was begun in 1996, in cooperation with Japan through Sofia University and the ANA. The project was completed in 2007.

The causeway was closed in 2016, when the second phase of the restoration project began. It was slated for completion in 2020, but work was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.