PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the establishment of an inter-ministerial commission meant to accelerate the construction of an expressway from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Once completed, the expressway will be the third in Cambodia after the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville, which opened in late 2022, and the Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway, which is expected to be open by 2027.

On July 11, the Prime Minister issued a statement detailing the functions of an inter-ministerial commission to manage the investments in build-operate-transfer (BOT) initiatives for the proposed Phnom Penh-Siem Reap expressway under the supervision of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

The commission will be responsible for reviewing and advising on procedures, legal frameworks and investment visions for the infrastructure project. With a dedicated group on the case, the government hopes to accelerate the development of the expressway.

The commission is to be chaired by Minister of Public Works and Transport, Sun Chanthol. He said that Cambodia’s third expressway is estimated to cost $2.5 billion US, with each kilometer of the road totalling $10 million US. The ministry expects to begin construction on the 250 kilometer expressway in 2024. The construction will involve two stages: first from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and then from Siem Reap to Poipet on the Thai border.