The South Korean-funded national roads 2 and 22 reconstruction project broke ground on Tuesday. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, South Korean Ambassador to Cambodia Park Heung-Kyeong said the project will help ease goods transport internally and with Vietnam. “Road infrastructure is an essential vessel to build socio-economic development in Cambodia. We are happy to be part of this important project with Cambodia,” he said. He said the South Korean government will continue to work towards promoting Cambodia’s economic growth and the betterment of both nations. At the event, Prime Minister Hun Sen said “our Korean friends have helped us connect the roads” to Vietnam’s road network, which will facilitate the movement of goods and peoples between the two nations. He said that aside from the two roads, National Road 21 is undergoing reconstruction from Kandal province to Koh Thom district’s Chrey Thom village along the border with Vietnam. Reconstruction along National Road 48, which connects Koh Kong province to National Road 4, is also funded with grants from the South Korean government. “I would like to thank the South Korean government and its citizens for their support for Cambodia’s development. If political and administrative connections were not enough, now we essentially have a physical connection through the road network,” he said. A Ministry of Public Works and Transport report said the project comprises 62.56km of National Road 2 from the Takhmao town roundabout to the O’Chambak Takeo Detour Circle – about 3km west of Takeo province’s Independence Monument roundabout. It also includes 9.61km of National Road 22 from the O’Chambak Takeo Detour Circle to its intersection with National Road 3 in Ang Ta Som village in Takeo province’s Tram Kak district. Asphalt concrete will be used in the project, which is set to cost $56.1 million. It will be jointly financed by both governments, the report said. South Korea’s Hanshin Engineering and Construction Co Ltd is the operator of the two-lane road reconstruction. Technical inspection will be provided by Dasan Consultants Co Ltd, Dong Il Engineering Consultants Co Ltd and Seoyoung Engineering Co Ltd. The project is expected to be completed by April 2022. Minister Sun Chanthol said: “The rehabilitation and development of transport infrastructure have played an important role in the integration, connectivity and trade exchange in the region. “IT has contributed to economic and tourism development and reduced traffic congestion in the country as well.” After the project, he said, national roads 2 and 22 will improve the efficiency of Cambodia’s travel and logistics systems. They will facilitate, accelerate and reduce the costs of shipping crops, agro-industrial and agricultural products from the people and investment companies to local and international markets, especially through the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.