Preah Sihanouk provincial television reported on July 22, 2025 that Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet of the Royal Government of Cambodia chaired a review meeting on the progress of the “Funan Techo Canal” project at the Peace Palace this morning. He heard reports from relevant departments on the project’s latest implementation and issued instructions on key tasks for the next phase.
The meeting stated that the “Funan Techo Canal” is a major national infrastructure project in Cambodia. Its planned total length is approximately 174 kilometers, passing through Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep provinces. It aims to open a waterway connecting the Mekong River system to the sea and build a nationwide modern inland navigation network.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, the project is currently in the route survey and alignment stage, with the focus on minimizing impacts on people’s land as much as possible. Approximately 1,920 boundary stakes are planned along the entire route, of which 1,081 have been completed, representing a completion rate of about 56%. These include 387 in Kandal province, 552 in Takeo province (all completed), and 142 in Kampot province (801 in total), while Kep province has not yet begun, with 180 planned.
Once completed, the canal will be capable of supporting bidirectional navigation by 3,000-tonne cargo vessels. It is expected to significantly improve inland navigation, ease logistical bottlenecks, reduce transportation costs, increase freight efficiency, strengthen national economic resilience and regional competitiveness, and facilitate foreign trade.
As one of the flagship projects the Cambodian government has prioritized in the transportation, water-resources, and economic sectors in recent years, the Funan Techo Canal has strategic transport value and is expected to stimulate development along the route, improve urban-rural connectivity, and create a new center of economic growth.
The project officially launched on August 5, 2024, with a planned construction period of 48 months and an expected completion in 2028. The total investment is approximately US$1.7 billion.
Written by: Chenda Teyte
Editor: 林秋填
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