Cambodia broke ground for the widening and upgrading of National Road No. 41 with Chinese funds on Monday to cope with rising flows of the road traffic.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the widening and upgrading of National Road No. 41 in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia on Dec. 26, 2022. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

The 95-km road is located about 37 km southwest of the capital Phnom Penh, running through the four provinces of Kampong Speu, Kandal, Takeo and Kampot.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian presided over the groundbreaking ceremony, which was attended by some 5,000 people.

Hun Sen said the road will better facilitate travel and goods transport.

"People will greatly benefit from this road, which is an important economic artery as it links to the coastal province of Kampot," he said. "The road will play a crucial role in helping boost socio-economic development and poverty reduction in Cambodia."

Hun Sen expressed his gratitude to the government and people of China for having provided a great amount of aid to Cambodia for the development of transport infrastructure.

"In Cambodia, a proverb says 'There is road, there is hope'," he said. "China has built a lot of roads and bridges for Cambodia, so it means that China has built a lot of hope for our people."

Ambassador Wang said 2022 marked an important year for the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Cambodia, saying that a number of China-aided projects including roads and hospitals entered into operation.

"Looking forward to the new year, we are full of confidence in the China-Cambodia relations, and we will continue to work together to build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future," he added.

Khim Kanhchara, a 38-year-old food vendor working along the road in Kampong Speu province, said the road is currently difficult to travel as it is bumpy due to a lot of potholes.

"It's slippery in the rainy season, and dusty in the dry season," she told Xinhua. "I hope that when this road has been constructed, people, especially garment workers, will be easy to travel, and the transport of farm products to markets will be smooth."

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the project is funded by preferential loan from the Chinese government, and carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation. The project is expected to take 40 months to be completed.