Prime Minister Hun Sen on January 9 presided over a groundbreaking ceremony for a 45.5km stretch of National Road 7 being upgraded and widened from two lanes to four. Extending from the Skun roundabout to the Kizuna Bridge in Kampong Cham town, construction is scheduled to be completed in 2026 at a cost of more than $117 million. Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol, also in attendance, said construction is being carried out by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), with technical inspections by Guangzhou Wanan Construction Supervision Co Ltd. He noted that it would take 40 months for the improved stretch of road to be built, with the project being funded by a concessional loan from China and contribution funds from the Cambodian government to address impacts. “After construction is complete, this stretch of road will be a strong, broad highway playing an important role in facilitating travel and the transport of products, thereby increasing agro-industrial activity. “It will assist greatly in developing the economy of Kampong Cham and border provinces with the rapid exchange of trade, goods and key agricultural products,” Chanthol said. Hun Sen said at the event that while roads from 5m to 7m wide had been built following the civil war, prolonged peace had provided opportunities to develop across all sectors, with roads even 12m wide no longer enough. The upgrading and widening of National Road 7 is necessary in response to the Kingdom’s present growth, especially with traffic volumes and the movement of commodities increasing every day, he added. “The construction of roads and bridges, and the development of infrastructure and human resources remains a priority. “The government remains committed to its stance of developing the nation, and step by step, we won’t stop,” he said. Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian hailed the latest road-building achievement, saying China would continue to assist the Kingdom in developing infrastructure, as well as in other areas through the strong cooperation between the two countries. “Cambodia has adhered to a policy of friendship with China in line with the basic interests of the two countries and peoples. “Over many years, China has helped the Kingdom with the building of hydroelectric stations, roads, bridges and hospitals, with the Cambodian people benefiting greatly from the bonds of friendship between the two nations,” Wang said.