A Japanese-funded bridge dating back more than half a century in Phnom Penh is set for renovation in 2017, with an estimated budget of ¥3.2 billion ($30 million) in grants from Tokyo, officials said Tuesday.
Sun Chanthol, Cambodia's minister of public works and transportation, said the Japan International Cooperation Agency's experts in 2014 found that some parts of the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge had been damaged and are in need of repair. They agreed that the renovation project will start in early 2017.
The bridge, referred to locally as the "Chroy Changvar Bridge," plays a key role in the country's communication and transportation as it links Phnom Penh to many provinces in the east and northeastern parts of the country.
The bridge measures 1,080 meters long by 13 meters wide, and was constructed from 1960 to 1963. It was severely damaged during the civil war in 1972 and rehabilitated in 1994 with Japanese grants.