BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia, March 18 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday broke ground for the construction of a 174-kilometer national road No. 58 under Chinese financial support.

According to the master-plan, the road is expected to cost 122 million U.S. dollars, which is the soft loan from China, and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Company will undertake the construction, which is expected to be completed in August 2018.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Hun Sen said Cambodia was very satisfied with the assistance from China.

"China's concessional loans, grant aid and private investments are very valuable to support the development of Cambodia," he told 5,000 people at the gathering.

"I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Chinese government and people for steadily supporting Cambodia in socio-economic development."

He said the road would be very important to facilitate travels and goods transportation between Cambodia and Thailand.

Road No. 58 stretches from Banteay Meanchey province, which shares an international border with Thailand, to neighboring Uddor Meanchey province to the east.

So far, China has provided financial aid to Cambodia to build roads in the length of 2,668 kilometers.

"About 1,437 km have already been constructed, as 821 km are under construction and 410 km are planned," he said.