The Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has significantly changed the livelihoods of villagers along the route here in Voa Sar village in Samraong Tong district of southwest Cambodia.

Chhay Kimsan, 69-year-old village chief, said the village has a total population of 1,128 villagers, and they earn their livings by working in various sectors, as some also work for the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway Co., Ltd., which is the operator of the 187-km Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway.

He said the expressway, which was opened to traffic in November 2022, has helped turn his once poor and tranquil village into a thriving village, where wooden houses with iron-zinc roofs were being replaced by concrete houses or mini villas, and gravel roads were being replaced by concrete roads.

"In the past, their lives were not as good as they are today. They faced many difficulties," he told Xinhua.

He said the expressway has provided a lot of benefits to the villagers, as it is convenient, safe, time-saving, and economical for them to travel.

"Since there is this expressway, they like traveling on it, going to Sihanoukville for leisure purposes," Kimsan said.

Kimsan said the expressway has also spurred a significant rise in land prices along the thoroughfare.

"Now, there are significant changes in their livelihoods because land prices in this area have doubled, so they make a lot of money from selling their land adjacent to the expressway," he said.

The village chief said that in general, the villagers are happy with the expressway because it has also reflected the country's rapid development.

"I suggest that the company help create more job opportunities, so my villagers will be able to earn more money and their livelihoods will be better," Kimsan said.

Mann Piseth, 40-year-old villager, agreed that the freeway has helped improve the livelihoods of local residents along the route.

"I'm very pleased that the expressway had run through our village," he told Xinhua. "It has made the village more beautiful and improved the villagers' livelihoods."

Piseth, who has been offered a job by the expressway operator, said the motorway has provided a lot of jobs for the Cambodian people.

"Through this expressway, Cambodia and China have enjoyed an even better relationship," the father of four children said.

Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in the amount of 2 billion U.S. dollars, the expressway was the first of its kind in Cambodia and was the largest single project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation between Cambodia and China.

The expressway passes through Kandal, Kampong Speu and Koh Kong provinces.

With two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side, vehicles will be able to reach their destinations within two hours through the expressway instead of five hours on National Road 4.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, a think tank under the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the expressway has played a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of travels and logistic system.

"It is a key strategic route for the Southeast Asian country to boost trade exchanges with the rest of the world and also a major road to attract tourists to the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk," he told Xinhua.

"Traveling on the expressway has saved both fuel and time and is quite safer than traveling on ordinary roads," he said.