Work on 7th Chinese-funded bridge in south Cambodia nears completion

KANDAL - Work on the 7th Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge across Tonle Bassac River here in southern Cambodia is nearing completion after a 28-month construction.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo jointly cast concrete to connect the main span of the bridge on Monday.

The 415-meter-by-13.5-meter bridge is situated in Koh Thom district of Kandal province, about 60 kilometers south of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Hun Sen said the project will be completed by the end of 2016 when the engineers pave tar and install bridge rails.

"This bridge is essential to ease difficulty in travel and goods transport and to reduce poverty for residents along both sides of the river," he said during the ceremony.

According to the prime minister, it is the 7th bridge that has been constructed in Cambodia under China's soft loan.

"Through Ambassador Bu, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the government and people of China for having provided grant aid and concessional loans to Cambodia for socio-economic development,"he said."I hope that the Cambodia-China relationship will be as solid as the concrete bridge."

Bu said that China will continue to help Cambodia build more roads and bridges, saying that transport infrastructures are crucial to boosting economic growth and to reducing poverty.

The bridge has been built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation under the China's concessional loan of $19.4 million.