Nearly 2 mln vehicles travel on Chinese-invested expressway in Cambodia in 5 months

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Almost 1.9 million vehicles had travelled on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in the first five months since its opening to the public last October, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said in a news release on Tuesday.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said in the news release that raising awareness on the use of the expressway and enforcing traffic law are essential to ensure safe driving on the freeway.

Invested by China Road and Bridge Corporation with 2 billion U.S. dollars, the 187-km expressway connects the capital Phnom Penh with the international deep-water seaport province of Preah Sihanouk.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has said that using the expressway saved both money and time.

"I'd like to call on the owners of trucking companies to use the expressway," he said in a public speech. "Using the expressway costs less than using the regular road, saving both fuel and time in supply chains."

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.