Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway Connection with Vietnam Discussed by Joint Committee

Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport on the morning of July 23, 2026, led a joint committee meeting to determine the connection point for the under-construction Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway with Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh-Moc Bai Expressway. The meeting, led by Minister Peng Ponea, included technical officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, inter-ministerial officials, and the construction contractor to discuss the process of identifying the connection point between Cambodia's Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh-Moc Bai Expressway. According to officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the meeting aimed to review, discuss, and provide updates on the connection point to the inter-ministerial committee members, as well as prepare for future meetings with the Vietnamese side. However, officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport did not provide detailed information about the meeting or the progress of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway construction project, which is planned for completion in 2027. The Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project had its groundbreaking ceremony in June 2023, presided over by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister of Cambodia. The construction is estimated to cost approximately $1.35 billion under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) investment model, with an operational period of 50 years. This second expressway in Cambodia is projected to bring substantial economic and investment benefits, with an estimated Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) as high as approximately 20 percent. The route will also serve as a crucial component to supplement ASEAN Highway 1 (AH-1), easing the traffic burden for goods transportation between Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.