National Road 3 in Kampong Speu province was closed to heavy goods traffic on November 4, following heavy rainfall. Water resources ministry
Heavy goods traffic remained suspended on National Road 3 in Kampong Speu province as of November 5 due to standing water, as officials worked to dig drainage channels and alleviate flooding.
Phorn Rim, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, confirmed that traffic could not yet resume.“The road will remain closed until further announcement. Water levels remain mostly unchanged. Although the water between kilometres 54 and 55 has receded slightly, it has begun to rise again between kilometres 53 and 54,” he said.
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“The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology is also working hard to find ways to drain the water from the flooded areas,” he added.
The Kampong Speu provincial transport department made the decision to halt all heavy goods vehicle traffic on National Road 3 within the province on Monday, November 4.
The department cautioned that rainfall at the end of the 2024 wet season had ranged from moderate to heavy, causing flooding that requires caution due to potential impacts on human and animal life, as well as road and bridge infrastructure.
Flooding has submerged sections of National Road 3 between kilometre 41 and kilometre 43 (Tram Khnar Market) in Kong Pisei district and between kilometre 53 and kilometre 55 (Pangsey Market) in Basedth district. This has rendered roads and bridges unable to support the weight of heavy goods vehicles.
“To prevent potential accidents and protect road and bridge infrastructure, the provincial tansport department is temporarily suspending all heavy goods vehicle traffic on National Road 3 between kilometre 41 and kilometre 43 and between kilometre 53 and kilometre,” said an official announcement from the department.
Drivers of heavy goods vehicles travelling between Phnom Penh and Kampot province, or vice versa, are advised to use National Road 2 or National Road 41 as temporary alternative routes.
To address the heavy rainfall over the past few days, local authorities in Kong Pisei district, Kampong Speu, in cooperation with district authorities in Takeo province, have dug drainage channels.
The channels will divert water from the flooded sections of National Road 3 and the surrounding factory areas into the Sla Koo River, according to the water resources ministry.
The ministry also reported that Tropical Storm Yinxing, which formed in the western Pacific Ocean, has significantly impacted the northeast monsoon, while a low pressure front covers the South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and the lower Mekong Basin, including Cambodia.
This weather pattern is expected to bring rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds to lowland provinces like Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kandal, Takeo and Phnom Penh, affecting 50 per cent of the area from November 5 to 7.
During the same period, upland areas such as Kampong Speu, Pailin, Stung Treng, Kratie, Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri, the Cardamom Mountains and the Dangrek Range may experience rain, thunderstorms and strong winds.
Coastal areas, including Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep and the Bokor Mountain range, are expected to see rain, thunderstorms and strong winds. Ocean swells are forecast to reach an average of 0.50 metres, surging up to 1.25 metres.
