The Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway will break the ground on June 7, with the ceremony to be presided by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The project is estimated to cost over $1.6 billion.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport said on April 21 that the kingdom’s second expressway will be 138km long, and will include 2.7km of new two-lane bridges.

Minister of Public works and Transport Sun Chanthol recently announced that the construction would be finished in 2027. The expressway is shorter than Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, which is 187km long and was built at a cost of $2 billion. He said the expressway will significantly improve goods transport and passenger travel.

Sin Chanthy, president of the Cambodia Freight Forwarders Association, appreciated the government for their efforts to develop infrastructure across the country and praised the coming expressway.

“This project will contribute significantly for trade exchange and tourism between Cambodia and Vietnam. Trade exchange between the two nations is growing year-on-year,” he said.

The new route will link to the Ho Chi Minh-Bavet Expressway, which the Vietnamese expect to complete in 2027.