The 90-metre thigh bridge crosses the Russey Chrum stream in Chhay Louk village, in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district. Supplied
Cambodia’s tallest bridge was temporarily opened to the public this morning at 6am. The 90-metre tall structure will be open during the day from April 11 to 17, for the traditional Khmer New Year period.
“This temporary opening is for family vehicles and motorcycles only, from 6am to 6pm. To ensure public safety, vehicles are strictly prohibited from stopping on the bridge. Meanwhile, trucks and other heavy vehicles must continue using the usual detour routes,” said Phorn Rim, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
This bridge is the 28th of 32 along National Road 10 in Pursat province. It spans 538 metres in length and is 10 metres wide. It crosses the Russey Chrum stream, located in Chhay Louk village, of Veal Veng district’s O'Som commune.
In the middle of the bridge, on either side, there are viewing platforms for taking commemorative photos. At present, construction is 98% complete.
On April 8, Sun Chanthol , first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and Minister of Public Works and Transport Peng Ponea supervised the final concrete connection at the bridge’s approach to allow for the temporary opening.
It is the tallest bridge in Cambodia, and features viewing platforms halfway across, so people can enjoy the incredible views. Supplied
During the ceremony, Chanthol explained that the bridge will be closed again after April 17 to complete the final parts of the project, including signage and road markings.
“This bridge is open from 6am to 6pm. Why not at night? Because the proper signage and road markings are not yet in place. Without those, we’re concerned for the safety of citizens. Once they are ready, we’ll open the road to the public in early May,” he said.
He also mentioned that, due to public interest in taking photos from the bridge, the government asked the Chinese construction company to expand the viewing platform by an additional 2.5 metres, as the view is particularly beautiful.
He reminded the public not to park on the bridge to take pictures or enjoy the view, in order to avoid traffic congestion. Instead, vehicles should park outside the bridge area.
In addition, he called for people to respect the Kingdom’s traffic laws — especially during the Khmer New Year and other major holidays — to avoid turning “a joyful day into a day of sorrow”.
The National Road 10 construction project spans 66 months. It began in December 2019 and is expected to be completed by June. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in March 2020.
