The Ministry of Public Works and Transport is in the final stages of project planning for the widening of National Road 4 from 7m to 10m. The project is scheduled to last 24 months from 2022 to 2023.
The ministry also plans to repair and upgrade roads in other areas that have been damaged by floods and improve road quality and traffic conditions.
Ministry spokesman Heang Sotheayuth told The Post on July 29 that the ministry has not yet finalised the project as it was still in the process of completing some details before requesting budget approval.
“At this stage, we have considered setting up an expressway to deal with congestion and reduce travel time and transportation costs. But we also do not want to abandon the old road as it can be used by locals and for family travel,” he said.
According to Sotheayuth, the project will take about two years. When complete, it will be suitable for all vehicle types.
He added that the project will increase the road’s width in most places except in places that had already been widened, such as around Kampong Speu and Phnom Penh’s Chaom Chao commune.
“Some parts of National Road 4 are small so we have to consider current traffic use and vehicle sizes. If is difficult for cars to avoid each other, this can lead to accidents,” he said.
“This road will have a size to suit current needs and widened into a dual-lane road . . . to make this road a standard road that is easy to use,” Sotheayuth said.
However, Sotheayuth has not been able to confirm how much the project will cost as the technical team has to complete its planning work first.
National Road 4 stretches 230km from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. In 2020, World Bank approved financing of $110 million for upgrading the road’s quality.
