PHNOM PENH: The construction of an expressway linking the capital city of Phnom Penh to Siem Reap province, the location of the renowned Angkor temples, has been given the go-ahead in principle to four companies, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

According to H.E. Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister and Minister of Public Works and Transport, the study for Cambodia’s third expressway is currently underway.

During the Tuesday opening ceremony of a new vehicle technical check center in Phnom Penh, he stated: “Four private companies are conducting feasibility studies on the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap expressway project.

According to him, the expressway’s construction will shorten the distance between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, bringing more tourists to the region’s cultural attractions.

After the Kingdom opened the first expressway, which cost US$2 billion and connected Phnom Penh to the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk, the third expressway project has been announced. The capital is connected to Bavet city, which is on the Vietnamese border and is the second expressway.

According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the 138-kilometer Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway is expected to be completed in 2023 at an estimated cost of US$1.6 billion.