PHNOM PENH: The Royal Government has planned to upgrade the National Road (NR) 6 from the T-junction of the highway from Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) in Siem Reap to the provincial city with a distance of nearly 20 kilometers at an estimated cost of US$60 million.

The plan was mentioned this morning by Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet while presiding over the SAI's official inauguration ceremony.

It is not strange for an airport to be located far from the city, he said, adding that the most important thing is the connection from the airport to the city. In this regard, he thanked the airport investment company for not only investing in the construction of the airport but also in the construction of a highway from the airport to NR6.

Besides road expansion, the Premier continued, the Royal Government is negotiating for the development of a lightweight train from the newly inaugurated airport to the provincial city.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said that this connection is very important to reduce costs and time for the travel between the two above-said destinations.