Cambodia

[yanksfan6129]

In April 2024, I visited Siem Reap, Cambodia. So let's take a look at what roads are like there.

We start this trip on National Highway 6 southbound (toward Phnom Penh) just north of "downtown" Siem Reap. We're heading out of town to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was less than a year old when I visited.

There were many new-looking directional signs like the one shown below. This is at the intersection of NH 6 and Apsara Road.



Here's a typical section of NH 6 through Siem Reap - through the city, it is a divided highway with some traffic lights. No interchanges.

Approaching the outskirts of the city, here is NH 6 going back down to undivided.

Now that we're out of the city, here are two views of a typical mile marker. Similar to the style I've seen in India and Vietnam. The beer being advertised in the background is named after famed Cambodian jurist Ruth Bader Ganzberg.





And here's a stop sign. Cambodia uses a unique shade of red on the sign called "Khmer Rouge."



Phnom Penh is the control city here.



The speed limit.



Sign for a weigh station, and a picture of said weigh station. I did not see it operating.





Here is a sign that was not obeyed.



Alright, we're a little ways outside the city. Now let's turn left onto a brand new Chinese-built road to the brand new Chinese-built airport. The sign is somehow already damaged.



The grand entrance.



Merge!



Roundabout on the airport road.



This road has EVERYTHING. It's got fresh tarmac, no potholes (there were many potholes in rural Cambodia - no photos), Dan Cortese, and even a grade-separated interchange.

Almost at the terminal!



And that's that. If you're unsatisfied, then all I have to say to you is: aw,



I also saw this:

[vdeane]

Does imgur no longer allow hotlinking?  The images don't seem to be working for me.

[yanksfan6129]

Please hold. working on this

[yanksfan6129]

Does imgur no longer allow hotlinking?  The images don't seem to be working for me.

fixed

[Chris]

Interesting photos!

Highway 6 was modernized by China between 2013 and 2017 from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. It was also four laned on its first 70 kilometers out of Phnom Penh.

The Siem Reap section was expanded to six lanes in 2021-2022.

Cambodia is one of the largest recipients of China's Belt and Road Initiative. As opposed to Vietnam, which seems to have zero BRI road projects, and Thailand also has few BRI projects. They've improved their roads significantly since the 2010s, and even built their first toll road expressway from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. Their next project is an expressway from Phnom Penh to Bavet, which is on the road to Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon.

They're also constructing a shipping canal to link the Mekong with the Gulf of Thailand, to create a new export route, independent of ports in Vietnam.

[ClassicHasClass]

Cambodia uses a unique shade of red on the sign called "Khmer Rouge."

I see what you did there.

[kurumi]

The route marker reminded me of India's national highway markers (example: https://flic.kr/p/6nEeya) but the layouts differ a bit. France's kilometer markers have a similar shape. Is there a common ancestor to all these?

[Chris]

Cambodia was part of French Indochina, and they had a route numbering system in the early 20th century.

See: https://routes.fandom.com/wiki/Liste_des_routes_coloniales_en_Indochine_fran%C3%A7aise

Similar 'routes coloniales' existed in most French colonies, and these kilometer markers still exist in Africa as well.

I'm not sure where the Indian kilometer marker originated from. Maybe it was copied from the French. India does not border former French colonies and overland travel to Southeast Asia was never developed.

Here's a zoomable 1936 road map of French Indochina. The road network was much more developed in Vietnam than in the interior, but Cambodia more so than Laos.

1936 map: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53066946w/f1.item.zoom

1942 map: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53189378p/f1.item.zoom

[Chris]

A 90 meter high bridge has been constructed in Pursat province. This is the highest bridge in Cambodia.

The bridge is located in a remote mountain area in the southwest of Cambodia, apparently part of a series of dam projects.

It's called the Stoeng Russei Chrum Bridge.

Location: https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=11.94781&mlon=103.12128#map=13/11.94781/103.12128