Cambodia starts large-scale road construction after flood devastation

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday simultaneously began to construct 19 new rural roads with a total length of 505 kilometers in seven provinces after they were damaged by the recent floods.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the construction project in Pursat province in western Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the floods were over and now it was the time for post-flood rehabilitation.

The construction will take four years to complete by turning those damaged gravel roads to tar-paved ones, he said, adding that the estimated 68.5-million-U.S.-dollar cost would be financed by the Asian Development Bank, South Korea and Nordic Development Foundation.

The seven flood-ravaged provinces are Pursat, Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Battambang, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom.

Cambodia had suffered the worst flooding in more than a decade in recent months. At least 250 people were killed, according to the reports of the National Committee for Disaster Management.

The floods have also affected 1,970 kilometers of roads and about 660 kilometers of roads have been damaged.