The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently approved of a loan of $82 million to improve national and provincial roads in Prey Veng and Kandal. The improvement will also be towards the boosting of economic development along the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Southern Economic Corridor.
According to a press release from ADB, the assistance is the second phase of the Road Network Improvement project. The endeavour aims to strengthen Cambodia’s link with Vietnam and support the development of cross-border facilities between Prey Veng and Kandal.
The improvement and construction of the new roads will be done using disaster and climate damage resistant designs. The upgrade will also seek to help the Ministry of Public Works and Transport increase effective management of the roads by reducing overloaded vehicles, which are the most common causes of road damage and premature need of repairs.
“Road transport is the primary means of moving goods and people in Cambodia and between GMS countries,” said ADB Transport Specialist Mohammad Nazrul Islam. “The project will expand access to education, health, and other public services among local communities, especially poor, rural residents. It will also better connect them to markets and economic opportunities through a more efficient, safe, and climate-resilient road network connecting Cambodia with Vietnam along the GMS Southern Economic Corridor.”
The country’s transport sector faces challenges, including insufficient infrastructure investment and sustainability. Most of Cambodia’s rural roads and provincial roads are unpaved, and its national roads have limited capacity.
To address these challenges, the government has developed a national plan to build high-quality, sustainable, and climate-resilient infrastructure that can accommodate the country’s population and employment growth by 2030. AKP
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
