Located along the ancient East Royal Road that joined Angkor to Beng Mealea and Preah Khan of Kampong Svay, it’s a medium-sized laterite bridge, still in use, with 8 arches and recorded as measuring 35 meters long and 7 meters wide. Like most of the ancient bridges on this section of the ancient road, it featured a naga balustrade, and here, one of the naga end pieces is still in situ with what appears to be a naga of nine heads with a seated Buddha.
The bridge is quite clear and easy to access on one side, and even glance down the arches, for a surprise, as there is a long piece of balustrade hidden in one arch. How did it get there? One could assume it was lowered down during bridge repairs.
Images 2021
Images 2024
Historical Notes
Spean Komeng – The great causeway from Beng Mealea to Prah Khan crossed a stream on this small bridge, a right tributary of the Stu’ng Ta Ong. It is oriented east-west.- before its major axis and comprises eight arches. Each pier is formed with a breakwater course, three courses of shafts and two courses of corbelling, which gives the arches about meters of height of arrow. The river bed is paved upstream and downstream descending in two levels. The banks are covered, upstream and downstream of the abutments, with stepped facings. All these different elements are made of laterite. Bodies of nagas resting on worked blocks on a sandstone cordon formed guardrails. The heads of the nagas were bent at the ends and spread out in a fan on two rows of concentric ogives; a figure, which appears to be the meditating Buddha, was depicted on their front face (fig. 160). These railings are partly overturned; only the någa at the end south east is still in place, the others have rolled into the scouring of the banks.
The deck measures 7 metres in width between the sandstone cordon of the guardrails and 31 metres in development between the abutments. It is raised in relation to the surrounding terrain.
Lajonquiere, 1902
Map
*Important: mapped location may only be approximated to the district level/village only. To visit sites outside the tourist zones you should seek a local guide from the area read more.
Site Info
Site Name: Spean Khmeng Khmer Name: ស្ពានក្មេង
Reference ID: HA11605 | Posted: January 20, 2021 | Last Update: January 18th, 2025
Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap. Rodney Charles L'Huillier has spent over seven years in Cambodia and is the author of Ancient Cambodia (2024) and Essential Siem Reap (2017, 2019). Contact via [email protected] - more..
