Upgraded National Road 7 opens between Skun and Kampong Cham

The completed section runs for about 45.5 kilometres

The upgraded road begins at Skun Roundabout and ends at the western approach to Kizuna Bridge in Kampong Cham. Government material puts the project cost at about US$117.65 million, financed largely through a Chinese concessional loan with Cambodian counterpart funding.

The road now carries two lanes in each direction. That matters because the old alignment created a narrower approach between Skun and Kampong Cham, while the completed section provides more capacity for local traffic and through-journeys. The wider project also included supporting road works such as bridges and drainage infrastructure.

This is no longer a construction-progress story. The July 7 ceremony marked the section's formal opening, and later reporting in August described regular travel on the upgraded road. Actual journey times will still vary with traffic, weather and the roads used before and after this 45.5 km segment.

For practical context, see Cambodia law and taxes. This development also connects with Mekong flooding: what to check before choosing an area.

A better approach to Kampong Cham also serves longer regional trips

National Road 7 is part of the overland network linking central Cambodia with the northeast. Traffic passing through Kampong Cham can continue toward provinces including Kratie, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri, so removing a bottleneck on the Skun–Kampong Cham stretch has a wider logistical role than a purely local road improvement.

For residents, the practical gain is easier to judge through repeated journeys: commuting, school runs, deliveries or trips toward Phnom Penh and the northeast. The new four-lane section can improve one part of those journeys, but it does not make every connecting road equally fast or remove congestion inside towns.

Freight operators may also benefit from a more capable corridor for agricultural and commercial transport. Government statements have attached broader economic expectations to the project, but those remain projections. An open road by itself does not prove a particular increase in trade, land values or household income.

Property decisions still depend on the last few kilometres

Improved regional access can make Kampong Cham easier to reach, which is relevant for people considering a long-term home or business base there. Yet the value of that improvement depends on the exact property: distance to a usable junction, local road quality, access to schools and services, and the routes a household actually uses.

The road opening is therefore a concrete infrastructure improvement, not a standalone case for higher property prices. Buyers and owners still need to assess the neighbourhood, the asset and local demand separately from the headline investment in National Road 7.