Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - ‘Speed up National Road 2’

‘Speed up National Road 2’

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Motorists pass National Road 2. PM Hun Sen urges government officials to speed up work on the road which is partly funded by South Korea. Pha Lina

‘Speed up National Road 2’

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday criticised government officials in charge of the National Road 2 reconstruction.

He told them to work with the South Korean government as the project cost $56 million, most of which was borrowed from that government.

At a meeting with more than 20,000 garment workers from 20 factories in Takeo province’s Bati district, Hun Sen said he is unhappy with the delay in the reconstruction.

He ordered Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth to work closely with South Korean officials to speed up work on the national road.

“The condition of the road remains the same. Government officials have been negotiating for more than five years. I heard it is at the bidding stage. It needs to be pushed forward. It would not cost much money. Why it is so late?

“We need to develop and expand other national roads. National Road 3 has been expanded twice, from seven metres to 12 metres and from 12 metres to 20 metres. National Road 2 remains the same, which makes me very unhappy because reconstruction is very late,” he said.

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
PM Hun Sen addresses garment workers on August 29. Photo supplied

Ministry of Public Works and Transport spokesman Vasim Sorya told The Post on Wednesday that the roadworks are late due to budget constraints as it costs more than the $13 million the government had borrowed from South Korea in 2014.

Sorya said his ministry had requested to borrow more from the South Korean government which has since agreed. The reconstruction of National Road 2 will start at the beginning of next year, he said.

“We will open bidding proposals by construction companies on December 3 and quicken other processes to start work in January next year,” he said.

The reconstruction proposal involves 57km and runs from the Takhmao city roundabout in Kandal province to the O’Chambak Takeo Detour Circle, about 3km west of Takeo province’s Independence Monument roundabout.

The proposal also includes 9km of National Road 22. The whole proposal will cost $56 million.

The Cambodian government will finance $8 million with the rest being funded by loans from the South Korean government.

The proposal calls for the road to be paved with rubberised asphalt concrete. New bridges will be built and the road’s width will be expanded to 13 metres.

An 8km-long road heading south from the Kuo Srov roundabout and 5km south of the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre will be reconstructed in four phases.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia claims int’l titles in eight-sided arena

    Three prominent Cambodian Kun Khmer fighters – Thoeun Theara, Phal Sophorn and Roeung Sophorn – all claimed International Professional Combat Council (IPCC) world titles at the September 30 octagonal ring event at Town Arena, although popular Kun Khmer exponent Prum Samnang failed to secure a win in his

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Rapper VannDa bridges borders with beats

    Born in a bustling Cambodian market, a young dreamer named VannDa found his rhythm amid the clatter and chaos. Today, his beats resonate far beyond the shores of his homeland, streaming on platforms like Spotify and capturing the imaginations of hip-hop fans in the region