The first sky bridge in over 500 years of history in Phnom Penh was officially inaugurated on June 24th after having spent one year to construct, with the cost of US$ 6 mil- tion of Phnom Penh is very different from the past years because Phnom Penh is from the few people living here in 1979, but now it becomes po-litical, commercial, economic, tour-
lion. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Sam-dech Techo Hun Sen and his wife. The sky bridge at the crossroad of Monivong Bridge is linking to Na-tional Road No.1 and National Road ism, social and diplomatic center and it is the heart of Cambodia. “Now, Phnom Penh is facing a big concern of road accidents af-ter the number of motors increased to 800,000 and 170,000 vehicles in
No. 2 in a move of facilitating the traffic congestion and goods transport into city but at that area, usually called Kbal Thnol circle and previously had bad traffic jams everyday. The Prime Minister said that this Phnom Penh, and all motor riders need to wear helmets to protect life,” he said. “You need to love your life if you do not care about other lives.” The Prime Minister appealed for vehicles and motorbike drivers to re-
bridge is 308 meters long and 14 me-ters wide and a height of 5.2 meters it is the first one in the history of Phnom Penh and especially in the country. “Now we have the first one, we will Photo: Khem Sovannara Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen cuts the ribbon to inaugurate spect traffic laws and to become dig-nified people in modern society. “You should not take excuse of old buildings and need to upgrade them,” he warned. “I wish to thank the Gov-
have second at in front of Kossamak Hospital over the Russian Confedera-tion Boulevard in the western part of Phnom Penh and subsequently other sky bridges will be built later.” This bridge will contribute reduc-ing traffic jams at this location and facilitate the import transport into Phnom Penh, he said. “Every year when we celebrate the water festival in Phnom Penh, this location has massive traffic jams and the people from rural areas want to see water festival need to walk from here to the river bank in front of the Royal Palace,” he said. “This sky bridge was invested by the Khmer-Canadian investor Pung Khieu Se who also invested to build Koh Pich (Diamond Island). We thanked our Khmer -born investors who lives abroad but now they are back living here and collect money to make busi-ness opportunities to help the nation. This is their homeland,” he stressed. Prime Minister Hun Sen also urged Phnom Penh Municipality to expand the size of road at other plac-es to avoid traffic congestion in the city. Now Phnom Penh is in angel of development and the number of growth is reproducing very fast. “We also plan to build a new bridge over the Tonle Sap River next to Japa-nese –Cambodian Friendship Bridge “Choy Changvar Bridge” to ease traffic congestion into Phnom Penh and another one in Takhmao town over Tonle Bassac River.” “And local people are happy with new achievements with new public gardens that also facilitate their exer-cise and body fitness, and many peo-ple in city like exercising at the public gardens,” he said. “I want to go jog-ging at the public places and gardens to reduce fatness,” he joked, now we have 277 restaurants, 135 hotels, and 332 guest houses in Phnom Penh city. If those businesspeople could earn money from their trades, therefore they are still open for busi-nesses, he said, adding that the situa-the first sky bridge in Phnom Penh ernor of Phnom Penh that is striving to build gardens for exercises, and build, and renovate road infrastructures in city. Phnom Penh residents need to live with sanitation and should not lit-ter in public and put rubbish into bin to be modern city to attract tourists,” he encouraged all people to do so. If not so, local people will face paying a fine as punishment, he noted. Phnom Penh is home to about 1.4 mil-lion of population and it is moving very fast in term of development and modernization of social issues. Phnom Penh used to be called “the pearl of Asia” in Sangkum Reastr Niyum led by the former King Norodom Siha-nouk and “island of Peace” before the civil war happened in 1970s.