The new bridge, in Pursat province, is 90 metres tall and will be temporarily opened during the Khmer New Year. - Transport Ministry via PPP/ANN
PHNOM PENH: The highest bridge in Cambodia, located on National Road 10 in Pursat province, was connected to the national road network on Tuesday (April 8). The 90 metre-high bridge will be temporarily opened to light vehicle traffic— mainly for tourists and families — during the daytime from April 11 to 17, the week of the Khmer New Year.
A connection ceremony was presided over by Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, along with Minister of Public Works and Transport Peng Ponea.
In attendance were the governors of Pursat, Battambang and Koh Kong provinces, along with senior officials and civil servants from the transport ministry, representatives of the China Road and Bridge Corporation and many construction workers.
National Road 10 has a total of 32 bridges. Bridge 28 is the tallest, at 90 metres. It is 538 metres long and ten metres wide, and features viewing platforms at the centre, so people can stop and take commemorative photographs.
It spans a steep gorge above the Ruessey Chrum stream in Chhay Louk village, of Veal Veng district’s O'Som commune. As of now, the bridge is 98 per cent complete.
The new bridge, in Pursat province, is 90 metres tall and will be temporarily opened during the Khmer New Year. Transport ministry
Transport ministry secretary of state Khan Mane recently visited the site. He noted that under the direction of minister Ponea, the bridge’s construction required high levels of technical precision and environmental consideration.
“We have had to carefully consider quality, safety and environmental protection, as the road passes through gorges, mountains and numerous valleys,” he explained.
He emphasised that the completed project will bring significant economic and social benefits. Citizens can now transport agricultural products directly to Koh Kong, home to a deep-sea port.
In terms of social benefits, people from Pursat and Battambang provinces can now travel directly to Koh Kong or Preah Sihanouk via the road. In the past, they had to pass through Phnom Penh.
Mane added that, under the guidance of Prime Minister Hun Manet, the government will continue constructing roads to better connect provinces across the country.
The construction team, working hard to meet the project timeline, expressed their pride in contributing to the highest bridge in Cambodia.
Van San, 50 years old, from Svay Rieng province, was among the workers pouring concrete on the bridge amid light rain on the afternoon of Friday, April 4.
“Even though I’ve only been working here for about three months, I’m happy to be a part of building the highest bridge in the country,” she told The Post.
The construction of National Road 10 — connecting Samlot, Veal Veng and Koh Kong — is classified as a Grade III asphalt road and uses a double bituminous surface treatment (DBST). The project will take 66 months and began in December 2019. It is scheduled for completion in June of this year.
An official groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in March 2020 and presided over by then-Prime Minister Hun Sen, who now serves as president of the Senate. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
