The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) has announced that the construction work on the 180-km-long Funan Techo Canal will start this year located in Kien Svay district, Kandal province, Cambodia.

The inland waterway, which extends from the Takeo Canal of the Mekong River to the coastal province of Kep, has dimensions of 100 m in width upstream and 80 m downstream, with a depth of 5.4 m (consisting of a navigational depth of 4.7 m and a safety clearance of 0.7 m). The project entails the construction of three waterway dams, 11 bridges, a 208-km pedestrian walkway, and the implementation of navigation aids and additional infrastructure for crossing the river. 

Cambodia intends to commence construction on the Funan Techo Canal, funded by China to the tune of US$1.7 billion, later 2024, with a target completion date of 2028. The project entails the excavation of a 180-km canal linking Phnom Penh to Kep province, potentially affecting waterways in Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep provinces. The Chinese state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation has been awarded the contract to conduct a feasibility study for the project. The Ministry has conducted initial assessments of the project's impact on various aspects including people, the environment, infrastructure, and the economy, and ongoing studies on these factors are being conducted.