The government plans to move some areas of the Lvea Em district in Kandal province under Phnom Penh’s administration after the construction of two more bridges across the Mekong River is completed, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday.

He said as the country continues to develop peacefully, two more Mekong River bridges will be constructed in the near future to connect the Chroy Changvar and Chbar Ampov areas of the capital to the Arey Ksat area of the Lvea Em district.

This will benefit Cambodians, especially those who live near the two bridges, he said.

“The Arey Ksat area will become a district under the Phnom Penh administration after the bridges are constructed to reach the area,” he said.

Hun Sen recently asked South Korea to help build a bridge across the Mekong River from Chroy Changvar to Khsach Kandal district’s Svay Chhrum area bordering Arey Ksat.

Lvea Em governor Phim Phira told The Post that he is still uncertain how many villages in the district will come under the capital.

“However, at the moment, some residents living next to the development areas of the two bridges are happy and expect their lives to improve once those two bridges are built,” he said.

Arey Ksat commune police chief Kan Penh said the move makes sense because the area is now undergoing development and is geographically very close to the capital, facing Chroy Changvar in the northwest and Chbar Ampov in the southwest.

“After Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced the plan, some villagers immediately increased the prices of their land,” he noted.