Sungai Damit bridge, long overdue promise about to be fulfilled

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KOTA KINABALU: It has been a case of ‘so near yet so far’ for villagers living across the river from Tuaran town on their predicament of being separated by the Damit River or Sungai Damit.

While there is a hanging bridge that serves as a connection for villagers to get to the town, it is only passable by pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles.

Those who have any business or dealings in Tuaran town have to endure a road journey that can take up to one hour. However, all this will soon be a thing of the past when the bridge spanning across Sungai Damit is completed.

With the RM18 million bridge, the journey will only take two minutes and there will be opportunity for Tuaran to expand and double in size, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, said.

Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) director Datuk Amrullah Kamal disclosed that the project is expected to kick off towards the end of this year and is expected to be completed in 18 months from the date of commencement. The bridge will be 104 metres long with a single two-lane carriageway of seven metres wide.

A 1.5-metre pedestrian lane and bicycle track will be built on both sides of the bridge, he said, adding that the construction project would include the upgrading of 340 metres of road to help ease the traffic flow there.

PWD Sabah has been given the responsibility to act as the implementing agent of the project which will function as hinterland support to Tuaran town.

“Once completed, the bridge will reduce villagers’ travelling time by about 30 minutes and shorten their journey by about 16 km,” he said, adding that about 6,000 to 7,000 villagers from about 10 villages such as Kampung Sungai Damit, Kampung Bintangor, Kampung Pitas and Kampung Bantayan will benefit from the infrastructure.

Speaking to reporters after performing the ground breaking ceremony for the bridge in Tuaran town yesterday, Abdul Rahman, the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), said it is a historical day for residents in Tuaran as the Sungai Damit bridge will be a game changer for the district.

“It will connect Tuaran town to more than 10 villages across Sungai Damit. All this while the villagers there had to take a long route to go to Tuaran for business. In the past it would take them about one hour’s drive to get to Tuaran town but with the bridge, it will only take them two minutes.

“The bridge can double the size of Tuaran town which was limited in the past because of the river. There will be faster access to government services for the villagers and we are also able to help the government save money as there will be no need to build duplicate government infrastructure and services there.

“If we do not build this bridge, we have to build a hospital, fire station, police station, schools and government agencies across the river to service the villagers there and all that could cost hundreds of million ringgit,” he said.

The Kota Belud member of parliament, who hails from Tuaran, said that the bridge not only saves the government’s development cost but also strengthens ties of the residents and unity in the area.

It will also boost the price of land in the area, which is about RM20,000 per acre now but may reach up to RM400,000 per acre in the future.

According to Abdul Rahman, residents in the district have been requesting for the bridge and their requests have been voiced out by Sabahan leaders in the federal cabinet in the past.

But the project was never implemented as it was not given priority, he explained and stressed, “I gave this project priority not only because it is in Tuaran but what is important is that it is a game changer.

“This is what I prioritize in the EPU because by spending RM18 million we can spur development across the river and at the same time save the government’s development cost in millions of Ringgit. It also gives personal returns to landowners across the river,” he said.

He also said that recently an opposition elected representative had said that the Sungai Damit bridge that was announced in February was just an empty promise from the BN government.

“I was hoping that he would be here today but he is not. I will do my best to make sure that in 18 months from the project’s commencement that Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing will be able to drive comfortably across the bridge,” he said.

Abdul Rahman added he had instructed EPU director general Datuk Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid to find out similar situation throughout the country where only a minimum development cost is required but the impact and savings from the aspect of development cost is huge.

He stressed that the bridge is the BN government’s show of gratitude to residents in Tuaran and Tamparuli, who have been solidly supporting the coalition and spurring the leaders to work even harder for the sake of the country and state’s development.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is also Tuaran member of parliament, thanked the BN government on behalf of the leaders and residents for the project.

“We are also thankful that a local boy has been elected to the post as he understands the situation and will prioritize the important ones. This request for a bridge is not new so when a leader understands the priority, this is good,” he said.

“The impact of the bridge to Tuaran will be good and the ceremony today answers all doubts about the project,” he stressed.

He also added that this is a clear reflection that Sabahan ministers in the Federal Cabinet do not take their positions lightly as they will do all they can for the state and its people.