City Hall plans to build two pedestrian overpass bridges. city hall
The Phnom Penh Municipal Hall has announced plans to build two additional footbridges over Mao Tse Tung Boulevard in Tuol Kork district – one at Santhormok Primary School and the other on the west side of Phsar Doeum Kor.
Writing on its Facebook page on Saturday, the Phnom Penh municipal administration noted Cambodia’s rapid development and said the new bridges would allow residents to safely cross the busy thoroughfare.
“The first project is located on Mao Tse Tung Boulevard, to the east of Santhormok Primary School, and the second is on Mao Tse Tung Boulevard, on the west side of Phsar Doeum Kor.
“The new footbridges will further enhance the beauty of Phnom Penh and provide safe places for pedestrians,” the post stated.
Municipal Hall spokesman Meth Meas Pheakdey said on Monday that if no design problems were found and no modification was required, construction would begin very soon.
Several Facebook users wrote in support of the announcement with several asking the government to also build pedestrian bridges in their areas, especially near schools.
A user going by the name Chan Ban Dit wrote: “I and residents living in Tuol Kork district and all over Phnom Penh hope to see these footbridges built soon so we can avoid the congested traffic.”
David Lim, another Facebook user, said: “Congratulations on these projects and I give my support. But at the same time, please everyone participate in keeping them clean to preserve the capital’s beauty.”
There are currently two footbridges in Cambodia. The first, which was inaugurated in 2017, spans National Road 4 and connects the primary and high school campuses of Hun Sen Chompou Voan School in Por Sen Chey district.
The second, which is equipped with escalators and was inaugurated this year, passes over the Neang Kong Hing roundabout near Olympic Stadium in the capital’s Prampi Makara district.
Kong Sovann, an expert consultant and deputy director of the Ministry of Rural Development’s Community Road Safety Programme Phase II, told The Post that the layout and design of the new projects were acceptable.
Sovann said he expected them to be easier to build because the authority had previous experience in constructing footbridges.
“How easy are they to use? What are the obstacles? And what about maintenance and the safety of pedestrians?
“From experience obtained in the past, I believe the municipal authority will make improvements so in future they’ll be able to follow a master plan with no problems,” he said.
Sovann said footbridges should have escalators, have good lighting and not be too high – especially to help the elderly.
He said the new footbridges would greatly reduce the danger faced by pedestrians.
“There should be footbridges downtown and on busy highways, where there are many people and a lot of traffic because they provide safety for all pedestrians.
“The driving habits of people on highways and boulevards mean people are always speeding and jostling for position. So when pedestrians try to cross, it’s very dangerous,” Sovann said.
