Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that the Mekong River and Tonle Sap areas will not be a long distance away from each other anymore as road and bridge infrastructure will connect them from Kampong Chhnang to Kratie province through Kampong Thom province.

Speaking at the 7th River Festival in Kampong Thom province’s Stung Sen town on March 9, Hun Sen encouraged relevant ministries and institutions to prioritise infrastructure development in the areas along the river and around Tonle Sap Lake because they are important for tourism and to connect transportation across the Tonle Sap River and Lake.

“As I said in Kampong Chhnang, now we need to build bridges and roads connecting Kampong Chhnang to Kampong Thom,” he said, adding that the government is requesting a low-interest loan from China to start the project in 2024.

Kampong Thom will connect to Kampong Chhnang through a project to construct 58 km of roads and a 3,200 metre bridge across the river, which will be the longest bridge in Cambodia.

“Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River are located far away from each other, but this will not be the case anymore because of transportation infrastructure,” he said.