Thunderhead
OBSERVINGTYO·JST--:--:--
/RECORD NO.120
記録 / REC120

June 22, 2026 — In Phnom Penh's Russey Keo district, Cambodia, a newly finished concrete road was dug up days later to lay drainage pipes that should have gone in before paving.

Officials said the old drains were too small; the work is due to finish in July.
Logged 2026-07-04 10:12:00 (JST)
カンボジアのプノンペン、ルッセイ・ケオ区で、完成したばかりのコンクリート道路が、舗装前に済ませるべき排水管工事のため数日後に掘り返された。

On Street 93 in Phnom Penh's Russey Keo district — a stretch also known as the old railway road — a newly completed concrete road has been partially dug up to install additional drainage pipes meant to relieve chronic seasonal flooding.

Residents welcomed the new road itself, but were frustrated that it was partially closed for construction so soon after completion. The closure has caused heavy congestion and drawn criticism over poor planning and wasted public funds.

In a June 22 statement, the Russey Keo district administration said cutting into the newly built road was unavoidable in order to address longstanding flooding in Tuol Sangke I and Russey Keo communes, explaining that the existing drains beneath the road were too small. It offered no explanation for why the drainage work wasn't coordinated with the road's construction.

Officials said the damage was temporary, with the drainage project expected to be finished in July, after which the cut sections would be restored to near-original condition. Social media users noted that building roads first and digging them up later for utility work has become a recurring pattern.

/SOURCE
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