The Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge crossing the Mekong River connecting Kampong Cham and Tboung Khmum provinces is set to be ready for use soon, with construction works almost 96 percent complete. The bridge is expected to be operational before Khmer New Year, that is, in mid-April, said Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport. The Chinese government is funding the construction of the bridge with an allocation of $57 million. Built by Shanghai Construction Group, the bridge stretches over 1,131 metres in length and 13.5 metres in width, connecting the Stung Trang district in Kampong Cham province, and Krouch Chhmar district in Tboung Khmum province, with both districts separated by the Mekong River. With the groundbreaking ceremony held in February 2018, the bridge is scheduled for completion in 42 months. When the bridge becomes operational, Chanthol said it is expected to bring about sustainable development and economic growth in Kampong Cham province due to faster travel and transportation of agricultural products and goods. “This bridge plays a very important role as it connects two provinces and people will be able to travel easily and quickly from one place to another, besides easy delivery of goods and services,” he added. Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to officially open the multi-million dollar Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge once it’s completed, hopefully, next month. The ministry’s spokesman Vasim Sorya told Khmer Times yesterday the ministry is also planning to build another bridge over the Mekong River to connect Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces. This is the eighth bridge the Chinese government is embarking on to construct with Cambodia, the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia wrote on its Facebook page recently. Mr Hun Sen was quoted as saying that the bridge constructions clearly showed the solid ties between Cambodia and China.