Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi
KAPIT: The Pan Borneo Highway may be the mother of all road projects in Sarawak but there is another road that is equally and anxiously awaited by the people in Kapit, Song, Kanowit and Sibu.
Costing over RM711 million,the 83km long Kanowit-Kapit Road is expected to be ready by the middle of next year.
It may be a dwarf compared to the RM16 billion and 1,089 km stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak but nonetheless, the Kanowit-Kapit Road is a vital artery to open up this small riverine outpost and its vast hinterland.
“It is a road filled with opportunities, its greatest impact is as the catalyst for socio-economic development in the region,” said Kapit Member of Parliament Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, the federal Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister.
The construction of the road, divided into several packages, started in June 2011 and has reached 55 per cent so far.
Alexander said the road would open up lands in Kapit, Song and Kanowit districts and the deep interior of Kapit from Baleh to Mujong, including the Sungai Tunoh flatland earkmarked for large-scale rice cultivation.
In addition to improving access to longhouses and settlements, it will enable amenities like electricity power and treated water to reach them in the future.
“The road will greatly reduce the cost of living because it is a cheaper alternative to river transport,” he added.
Kapit is the only division that is accessible by ferry or logging trails.
The last express boat leaves for Sibu at 3.15pm daily while the last boat from Sibu reaches here at about 6pm.
Alexander said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who visited the Kanowit-Kapit Road project at Sungai Yong here last month, had approved RM20 million to construct another double carriageway bridge next to the existing single lane Sungai Yong bridge.
“This is another solid commitment of the Barisan Nasional government to help rural folks. They should not be hookwinked to vote for the opposition who will not be able to help them at all,” he said.
“The coming state election is the best time to show their support and appreciation to the government.”– BERNAMA