The Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced that the Cambodia–China Friendship Kratie Mekong Bridge would open temporarily for 21 days, from September 8 to 28, 2025, to facilitate travel during Kan Ben and Pchum Ben.
Ministry spokesperson Phorn Rim said the temporary access covered pedestrians, motorcycles, small cars and passenger vehicles with no more than 12 seats. The bridge would close again after that period so construction could continue to technical requirements. The ministry urged travellers to maintain order, support traffic safety, observe speed limits and follow instructions from officers stationed in the area.
Construction of the bridge itself was reported to be 98.13 percent complete, while overall progress on the project, including connecting roads, stood at 87.13 percent.
Construction began on January 2, 2023, at a ceremony presided over by then-Prime Minister Hun Sen and former Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian.
The bridge is more than 13 metres wide, with two motor-vehicle lanes, two bicycle lanes and two pedestrian walkways. Nearly 32 kilometres of connecting roads comprise more than 15 kilometres of bridge approach roads and more than 16 kilometres across four branch roads in Kratie city. These roads have been widened and upgraded with a seven-centimetre asphalt-concrete surface.
Some sections have been widened to nearly 20 metres, while another section more than five kilometres long has been widened to 30 metres, with four motor-vehicle lanes, two bicycle lanes and a four-metre central landscaped median.
By: KPS99TV
