Bidding On Major Artery Renovation To Begin Next Month
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport yesterday announced that the renovation of National Road 4, which connects the capital with Sihanoukville in the south, will begin early next year.
The ministry said bidding for the project will start in September. National Road 4 is one of the main thoroughfares in the Kingdom, connecting Phnom Penh to Cambodia’s only deep-sea port, located in Sihanoukville. National Road 4 will be upgraded to ease traffic problems, Sun Chanthol, the Minister of Public Works and Transport, said yesterday during a visit to Preah Sihanouk.
The road endures heavy traffic as it links to several economic zones and rich agricultural areas, including large-scale farms. The renovation project has a budget of $110 million, provided by the World Bank in the form of a loan.
“The feasibility study on the project has concluded and we are now ready for public bidding to begin,” Minister Chanthol said. “We expect construction work to begin in early 2020,” the minister said.
The World Bank’s interest-free loan will be used to improve the condition, safety and climate resilience of the road, the government said, adding that it is also expected to provide immediate and effective access for emergency vehicles. The money will be used to upgrade 200 kilometres of road with an overlay of asphalt. Shoulders will be replaced, and drains and bridges will be built in flood-prone areas, the government said.
“Whoever wins the bidding for the project will be expected to follow international quality standards. If the work is not good, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will not accept it and the company will be asked to do it again,” the minister said. “The companies responsible for the construction, renovation and maintenance of the roads must follow stringent quality standards to ensure the roads have a long life.”
In March, construction of a $2-billion expressway connecting Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanoukville province began. According to the government, the expressway will be ready for use before the end of 2022, when the coastal province is scheduled to host the Asean Summit.
Vasim Sorya, the ministry’s spokesman, told Khmer Times that work on the expressway is developing according to plan, with China Road and Bridge Corporation, who was awarded the project, having achieved significant progress since March’s groundbreaking.