Floods damage Cambodia’s roads

PHNOM PENH: Some major roads in Cambodia were closed intermittently on Tuesday and Friday, disrupting traffic following heavy rainfall and flash floods.

President of the Cambodian Trucking Association (Camta) Sok Cheang told KhmerTimes Friday that the main road his association drivers regularly drive on between Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk is National Road 4.

“When the road was closed it slowed down the transportation of goods,” Cheang said. “When the Ministry of Transport announced that it would be closing national roads, we had to suspend travel on those roads first...We had to switch our routes to other roads and inform customers about the delay. They understood that with the floods the road condition is not good.”

Thea Ny, an import and export company representative, said yesterday that when roads were closed due to the floods her company could not deliver goods to factories on time due to heavy traffic, which cost her around $10 extra in petrol per vehicle and overtime pay for the workers.

“Drivers worked overtime and were tired, so we gave them extra money to encourage and recharge them. The company did not charge the customers extra because it is a natural disaster and only happens occasionally,” she said.

Chhuon Vorn, director-general of Land Transport in the Ministry of Transport, said yesterday that road closures due to floods could cause traffic jams, but did not cause major problems.

Before road closures, ministries, departments and provincial authorities always announce the news in advance except when it is immediately necessary.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said yesterday that more than 245 kilometers of 199 roads in Cambodia were damaged by floods in 13 provinces.

After inspecting the floodaffected roads along National Road 3 and National Road 20, Chanthol told reporters that as of yesterday, more than 245km of roads were damaged by the floods. “There are 87 roads that have been damaged by the floods in 13 provinces,” he said.

He added the Capital-Provincial Departments of Public Works and Transport are continuing to monitor and evaluate the condition of damaged roads to be ready for rehabilitation after the water recedes.