A ground-breaking ceremony for a Mekong River bridge will take place Wednesday at the construction site in Kompong Cham province.
The 1.3-km bridge is being constructed in Kompong Cham town, 125 km north of Phnom Penh. It will be the first one connecting the east and west of Cambodia, according to a press release. The nation is divided into two regions by the river.
In answer to a request from the Cambodian government, Japan donated about 6.4 billion yen, or $55.5 million, through Japan Grant Aid Program. The project is expected to be completed in March 2002.
The new bridge will play a key role in increasing transport of goods and people between the two regions, where ferry boats are now only means to cross the river, Public Works Minister Khy Tainglim said in the statement.
