The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration is replenishing Ochheuteal Beach in Commune IV with fresh sand in order to fill in channels that have been worn into the beach by flowing water leaving a layer of blackened sand exposed.
Officials are uncertain as to how many trucks filled with sand will be used in the effort to beautify the beach.
Provincial hall spokesman Kheang Phearom said the addition of the sand to the beach was to improve its appearance as well as fill in potholes and eliminate places where stagnant water was pooling.
He also said some of the worst looking areas of blackened sand will be bulldozed entirely.
“We’re transporting the sand from nearby sources and putting it in places that have been eroded by waves and have potholes, so we’re filling them to beautify a large stretch of the beach,” he said.
Phearom did not say how much sand would be used to complete the job, citing the Covid-19 situation as the unknown factor in terms of planning things for the province now.
“There has been no report as yet because currently our province is busy managing the Covid-19 situation,” he said.
Provincial Department of Tourism director Taing Sochet Kresna said on March 1 that the project to fill in the potholes on the beach was a maintenance effort to ensure that nothing would spoil the beauty of the beach.
He noted that the sand would be used to build a road accessible by tourists.
“The sand is also being transported over to Ochheuteal Beach for the purpose of building a road next to the sea to link up to a remote area there called Poy 39,” he said.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced on January 25 that Preah Sihanouk province planned to build a new road linking Sokha Beach to Ochheuteal Beach next to Poy Thmor and Poy Tamuy beaches.
The road will have a length of 1,034m and a width of 10.24m. The project is being managed by the National Committee for Coastal Management and Development.
Kresna added that the building of the new road will be a historical accomplishment for the province. Besides improving the beauty of the coastal town, it will ease traffic on other roads that are currently congested due to national and international tourists. He said people will no longer have to take a detour through Sokha Beach to get to Ochheuteal Beach and instead will also be able to travel between the two beaches along a scenic ocean-side road.
