Chroy Changva Bridge, 709-meter bridge across Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Chroy Changva Bridge is a concrete and steel structure crossing the Tonle Sap River, linking the eastern and western districts of Phnom Penh. The span measures around 700 meters and serves as a major route for both vehicles and pedestrians traveling between the two sides.
The bridge was constructed in 1963 with Japanese support to improve connectivity across Phnom Penh. During the civil war in 1972, explosive damage destroyed several spans, but reconstruction efforts eventually restored it and it reopened in 1994.
The bridge carries the name Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, reflecting how locals view it as a symbol of partnership between the two countries. For residents on both sides of the river, it functions as a daily link connecting neighborhoods and communities.
The bridge lies north of the city center, carrying traffic across the Tonlé Sap River toward Chroy Changvar. It is the first bridge on the Tonlé Sap, with the next crossing, Prek Kdam, about 10 km upstream. Expect congestion at peak hours and plan crossings accordingly.
On 24 March 1972, People's Army of Vietnam and Khmer Rouge sappers detonated an explosive-laden vehicle on the bridge, dropping several spans into the river and killing three civilians. The structure then stood unrepaired through the Khmer Rouge evacuation of Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975 until its 1994 reopening.
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