As of June 22, the progress of the construction of National Road 48 was 31.1 per cent complete. The construction contractors may request a delay in order to study the plans to expand the lanes of the road, said Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport.
On June 22, Chanthol inspected the progress of the project, along with representatives of several government units and the South Korean construction companies Ilsung & Hanil Joint Venture and KCI & KECC Joint Venture.
Addressing the media, he said the inspection aimed to ensure that the work completed so far met with set standards to make the road high-quality and durable. A technical team tested the quality of the road foundation in several locations, and determined that it met the required standards.
“Until now, construction has been slower than expected – by about 25 per cent, compared to the original plans. Therefore, the company has requested that we extend the completion date of the project. It may take up to 14 months to complete the work,” he added.
The contractors explained that the delays were due to several factors. The planned to increase the number of teams working on the road, but had been disrupted by the rainy season. This meant they had switched from road construction to working on bridge structures. Finally, they claimed that they needed to stockpile the necessary materials to pave the road in the coming dry season.
Construction began on January 3, 2022. The road will span 148km, starting at the intersection of National Road 4, at Point of km 141 + 750 in Chamkar Luong), and running to Khemarak Phoumin town in Koh Kong province, at a cost of more than $78 million.
Through the project, the government expects to promote connectivity, facilitate transport and expand trade volume between Cambodia and Thailand.
