PHNOM PENH: On May 18th, 2023, a Public-Private Partnership Agreement (PPP) was signed between H.E. Sun Chanthol, the Senior Minister and Minister of Public Works and Transport, acting as the representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and Mr. Zhou Yong, the representative of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), for the construction of the Cambodian second expresssway, Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway.

The project, which is 135.10 km long and runs through Kandal, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng provinces, will be built at a cost of approximately US $1.35 billion, with a construction period of 4 years under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) investment form. The expressway will be 4 lanes and operate for 50 years before being transferred to the Royal Government.

The PPP Agreement is divided into two main parts which include the PPP Agreement setting out the common principles for implementation, construction, and operation of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway and the relevant annexes which detail the principles agreed in the contract.

The Project is set to open on June 7th, 2023, and will be linked to the Ho Chi Minh-Mok Bai Expressway project upon completion.

Additionally, the third expressway project from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is scheduled to complete its feasibility study by the end of May with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed soon.