PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Work on a China-funded bridge across the Mekong River in northeast Cambodia's Kratie province neared completion after two and a half years of construction, said a press release from Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport on Monday.
A ceremony for connecting the final segments of the bridge was held on Monday, the press release said. The 1,761-meter-by-13.5-meter bridge, along with a 31.69-km connecting road, is being constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group under China's preferential loan.
"By the end of June 2025, 96 percent of the bridge construction has been completed," Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said.
According to Chanthol, the bridge will be open temporarily for motorcycles and family cars during the Pchum Ben Festival, or Ancestor's Day, in late September.
The bridge is another fruit of close cooperation between Cambodia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative.
"This project will importantly contribute to connecting Cambodia's interior transportation system, promoting the growth of transportation in the areas of agriculture, agro-industry and tourism in the northeastern provinces," Chanthol said.
The project would contribute to promoting ASEAN connectivity and the Lancang-Mekong Subregion connectivity, the official said.
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