2.53 mln vehicles travel on Chinese-invested expressway in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Some 2.53 million vehicles had traveled on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in 200 days since its opening to the public in October last year, a freeway operator's representative said on Wednesday.

Zhou Yong, assistant to general manager of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and general manager of CRBC Cambodia Office, which is the freeway's operator, said the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has achieved its green, safe, efficient and "zero-accident" operation goal in the past 200 days.

"Since the opening of the expressway, the cumulative traffic flow has been about 2.53 million vehicles, and the average daily traffic flow since the start of 2023 has been over 13,000 vehicles," he told Xinhua.

"The social benefits of the expressway have gradually become prominent and are warmly welcomed by the Cambodian people," Zhou added.

With an investment of 2 billion U.S. dollars by the CRBC, the 187-km expressway connects the capital Phnom Penh with the international deep-water seaport province of Preah Sihanouk.

Cambodian government chief spokesperson Phay Siphan said the expressway was the fruit of cooperation between Cambodia and China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and that it has played an important role in helping boost the kingdom's economy and tourism.

"The expressway has not only saved fuel and time (for travelers), but also helped accelerate Cambodia's economic development through the facilitation of transport and tourism," he told Xinhua.

The expressway has two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side. It can shorten the previous five-hour drive on National Road 4 to about two hours between Phnom Penh and the coastal city of Sihanoukville.