The construction site of Neak Loeung Bridge crossing the Mekong River, linking Kandal and Prey Veng provinces was opened on Feb. 12 under the presidency of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Visiting Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Yutaka Banno was also present at the opening ceremony.
The construction of the bridge, which is expected to complete in five years, will cost over US$92-million funded by the Japanese government and the almost-US$3-million budget of the Royal Government of Cambodia.
With the peak height of 37 meters from the water, the bridge is 13.5 meter wide and 2,215 meter long. It is part of Phase IV of the National Road 1 Development Project under the Japanese cooperation financing.
The bridge will bring about opportunities to boost economic growth and act as a catalyst for the cooperation and economic integration in the region and the world, said Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
The Cambodian premier deeply thanked the Japanese government and people for their assistance to Cambodia, stressing that Japan is the country that has a political consensus on Cambodia.
Despite changes in the leadership, Japan has kept the same attitude in helping reconstruct Cambodia, he explained.
For his part, H.E. Yutaka Banno said Neak Loeung Bridge is part of the ASEAN Highway and a vital part of the South economic corridor linking Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Bangkok.
The importance of the bridge was reaffirmed not only in the Japan-Cambodia bilateral meeting, but also in the Japan-Mekong Summit, said Japanese state secretary for foreign affairs, who is convinced that the bridge will contribute to the development of industry, agriculture, tourism and culture through the improvement of the distribution speed, he added.
The bridge, the symbol of Cambodian and Japanese peoples' ties of friendship, will lead Cambodia towards a prosperous future and help further strengthen the relationship between Japan and Cambodia, he said.
Japan has so far financed many bridge constructions in Cambodia, including Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, known as Chroy Changvar Bridge in Phnom Penh and Kisona Bridge in Kampong Cham province.
Since 1994, Japan has provided grants for infrastructure rehabilitation and development and for human resource training in Cambodia. Up to 2010, the Japanese grants to Cambodia have reached some US$1,900 million. -AKP
Article in Khmer by CHEY Phum Pul
Article in English by SOKMOM Nimul
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