Cambodia advances the Koh Khsach Tonlea Bridge into feasibility and detailed design

The consultancy covers design work and later construction supervision

The contract was signed by the KTB project management unit with a technical consultancy group led by Japan’s CHODAI Co., Ltd., according to the ministry. The proposed scheme is intended to cross the Bassac River and connect Koh Khsach Tonlea in Kandal Province with National Road 21. MPWT described a bridge of about 280 metres plus roughly 276 metres of approach roads.

The link is intended to improve access for the island community and agricultural transport, which currently depend heavily on ferry connections. That gives the project a clear local transport purpose, but the May contract was for professional services around the project, not an announcement that civil works had started.

CHODAI later said the consultancy period is planned for 45 months from commencement, with 15 months for the feasibility study and detailed design and 30 months for construction supervision. The timetable describes the consultant’s assignment; it does not establish a confirmed groundbreaking date.

For practical context, see Cambodia market and country comparisons. This development also connects with Chak Angre Krom–Prek Pra Bridge Reaches 85%.

Four possible crossing sites were still being assessed in June

On 30 June, a joint technical team carried out field inspections at four candidate locations. The group included the ministry’s KTB project team, technical consultants, environmental and social specialists, resettlement officials and European Investment Bank advisers.

The survey is a useful status check because it shows that the exact crossing location was still under technical review after the consultancy agreement had been signed. In the sources reviewed for this article, there is no confirmed notice that physical bridge construction has begun.

Property impact depends on the final alignment

If completed, the bridge could materially improve road access to Koh Khsach Tonlea and make agricultural logistics less dependent on ferry operating conditions. That potential benefit is real enough to follow, but it is too early to turn it into a blanket property-price story.

For landowners or buyers, the final alignment will matter more than the project name alone. Access roads can shift traffic toward some parcels and leave others largely unchanged, while land acquisition or resettlement issues may also depend on the selected corridor. Until the crossing site and construction programme are fixed, current access and the legal position of the specific property remain more reliable decision inputs than an assumed uplift from the bridge.