Over 100,000 vehicles ply 1st Chinese-invested expressway in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 100,000 vehicles had travelled on Cambodia's first-ever expressway in the first nine days of its opening for a trial use, according to data released by the freeway operator on Monday.

"From Oct. 1 to 9, the total traffic volume on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was 118,376," the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway company's data showed. "In average, the daily traffic volume was about 13,153."

The data indicated that on Sunday, some 21,707 vehicles traveled on the 187-km freeway, entering and exiting through all eight stations.

The Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was opened to the public on Oct. 1 for a month's trial use for free-of-charge after more than three years of construction.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport said the growing traffic volume "proves that the expressway is indeed a potential economic route."

Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the expressway connects capital Phnom Penh and the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk.

With two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side and paved with asphalt concrete, vehicles will be able to reach their destinations within two hours through the expressway instead of five hours on National Road 4.

Vasim Sorya, undersecretary of state and spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the expressway is the largest single project under the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation between Cambodia and China.

"The expressway will inject new impetus into Cambodia's economic development since it links the capital to the international deep-water seaport," he told Xinhua.