Floods Claim Parts of Kompong Thom Roads

At least 200 meters of National Road 6 and 30 meters of provincial road 64 were swept away by floodwaters in Kompong Thom province last week.

Repair costs to flood-damaged national roads could reach $20 million, one official said. Although the waters are already receding, some of the roads were not accessible, especially to trucks.

Three different stretches of National Road 6 in Kompong Svay district have been unusable for a week, and will remain so for another week until officials can get dirt to fill them in, Kompong Thom province Second Deputy Gover­nor Som Sophat said. Boats have been carrying motorbikes and cars to facilitate traffic, he said.

About 30 meters of road 64 in Prasat Balaing district, which leads into Preah Vihear province, were washed away, Som Sophat said. Trucks destined for Phnom Penh have been rerouted to National Road 5, said undersecretary of state for Public Works and Transport Uk Chan.

He added that flooding has also rendered national roads 7 and 11 impassable, and estimated damage to the national road system this year at $20 million.

Two bridges on National Road 6 were swept away in August, and large trucks are still banned from some sections of the highway.                          The road is the main link between the provinces of Kom­pong Cham, Kompong Thom and Siem Reap.

 

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