Fadillah Yusof
KUCHING: The construction of roads using the Rubberised Pavement-Cuplump Modified Asphalt (CMA) does not only increase the roads’ technicality and durability, but will also help to boost the rubber industry in the country.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said it would contribute towards increasing the income of rubber tappers in the country who before this had suffered as a result of low rubber prices.
“The cost to build the road using rubberised asphalt is slightly higher but in the long run, there will be savings in terms of maintenance.
“By using this, hopefully we could maintain rubber prices and help the rubber tappers in increasing their incomes besides improving the technicality and durability of the road,” he told a press conference after chairing the Sarawak Bumiputera Economic Council special committee meeting here yesterday.
According to Fadillah, the Public Works Department (JKR) had signed an agreement last year with Malaysia Rubber Board which had conducted research on the technology of constructing roads using CMA compared to using recycled tyres before this.
He said JKR had conducted pilot projects using CMA at three sites this year, namely lane FT010, Jalan Gemas-Rompin in Negeri Sembilan; Lane 4, Jalan Gerik-Kupang in Kedah; and Lane FT002, Jalan Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan in Pahang.
Based on the results of the pilot projects, Fadillah said improvement was done on the CMA design mix and would be implemented at the Central Spine Road project involving road construction from Kota Bharu to Kuala Krai in Kelantan in Package 1B, Pasir Hor to Kadok, Kota Bharu, which is expected to be implemented in April this year.
“From the performance that was obtained from the study that was conducted, the pilot project that has been indentified is the reconstruction of Yong Peng federal road to Segamat FT-001. The length of the road proposed is 20km (four lanes x 5km length) with the estimated cost of RM92.3 million.”
He added that cost for the usage of CMA is RM53.60 per square metre versus RM29.90 per square metre for the usage of conventional asphalt.