Several motorists at Penampang-Tambunan road chose to wait for the earth to be cleared rather than turning back.
KOTA KINABALU: The Public Works Department (PWD) had mobilised its personnel swiftly to repair the damage caused by landslides in Tamparuli, Tambunan and Kokol in Menggatal yesterday.
According to PWD director Datuk John Anthony, all the roads except Kokol Road are expected to be passable by the evening yesterday.
John, when contacted yesterday, said that the most serious damage reported was along Kokol Road where four sections of the road were affected by landslides.
“The most severe damage was at Km 12.5, Kokol Road and we expect to complete repairing it by tomorrow,” he said.
PWD, he added, is now working on widening the Jalan Tamparuli Kiulu as a landslide had occurred at Km 6.1.
The road widening will be carried out on the hill side, he said, adding that PWD expected the work to be completed by 6pm yesterday.
On the landslide at Km 38, Moyog-Tambunan road, John explained that the road was blocked by earth and debris from the slope which collapsed on it.
“The road was not damaged, it was just earth and vegetation from the slope. Clearing work has been done and the road is expected to be passable by evening,” he added.
PWD, he said, will be on the alert for similar occurrence in view of the wet spell the state is experiencing now.
Meanwhile, a landslide at Km 48 of the Kota Kinabalu-Penampang-Tambunan road made the road impassable to motorists from both sides.
Many motorists coming from Tambunan and Donggongon directions were forced to turn back and take another route, while some motorists were determined to wait until the road was cleared of soil and tree branches.
Uji Anjim, 33, an employee doing road maintenance work for a contractor nearby, said the landslide occurred around 8.30am yesterday at Km 37 from Donggongon town near Gerai Makan Simpang Tudan, Kampung Tudan.
It was fortunate that no vehicles were hit by the landslide.
The PWD immediately instructed the contractor to clear the soil from the road.
At 1pm, several excavators arrived at the site and started working. One lane was cleared and made passable to motorists at 3pm yesterday. By 6pm, both lanes were cleared of soil and traffic movement was restored.
Meanwhile, John told reporters in Sandakan during an inspection of the damage at Jalan Bokara-Batu Sapi near Taman Poh Hing that PWD had appointed a temporary contractor to maintain the road after the original contractor failed to do so although an extension of time was given from October last year.
“The contractor failed to maintain the road as instructed and we had to terminate the contact and appoint a new contractor,” he said, adding that the temporary contractor started the maintenance work last Monday.