Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh expressway plans announced
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) revealed its plans Monday for a Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City expressway that will halve travel time between the two cities. At an estimated cost of $2.2 billion, the initial target date for completion of the expressway is 2030, JICA representatives announced during a conference at Phnom Penh’s Raffles Hotel Le Royal. … JICA expects the first section of the expressway to open around 2020. The entire 170 km road from Phnom Penh to Bavet, along with the remaining 90 km to Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to be finished by 2030. The expressway is part of JICA’s wider plan to build a corridor through Southeast Asia, which will also include a Bangkok to Phnom Penh route. … The road also aims to further strengthen economic ties between Cambodia and Vietnam. Trade volume between the countries reached $3.5 billion in 2013, up 25 percent year-on-year. Vietnamese nationals also represent the largest group of visitors to Cambodia. …
Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/phnom-penh-to-ho-chi-minh-expressway-plans-announced-57626/
