TAWAU: Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor said upgrading of Kalabakan-Sapulut road over 145km is about 10 per cent completed and ahead of schedule which is expected to be completed in October 2013.
The RM270 million upgrading project that started in October last year will shorten travelling time from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu from three to four hours.
“When completed, the entire Kalabakan-Sapulut road upgrading project will cost RM920,000 or about RM1 million.
“The cost may be high, but we believe it will give substantial economic returns not only to people of Kalabakan and Tawau but also those on Sabah’s east coast, including Semporna,” he said after visiting the project site in Kalabakan, about 100km from here, yesterday.
Shaziman said when completed in October 2013, the road project will benefit people in the interior regions such as Keningau, Tambunan and Tenom.
He said the phase one construction of the Kalabakan-Sapulut road costing RM650 million was completed in 2008, and the on-going upgrading works costing RM270 million.
The ministry will seek cooperation of agencies including the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to check overloading and reduce road damage.
Repair works are also under way at 10 of 13 landslide locations along Tawau-Kalabakan road.
He said the ministry had received approval from Ministry of Finance (MOF) to carry out preliminary work on the proposed Pulau Bum Bum Bridge spanning 1.4km.
MOF has allocated RM25 million for preliminary work including the design and soil tests.
The bridge is estimated to cost RM430 million.
Also present during the project site inspection was Sabah Public Workd Department director Datuk John Anthony.
He said the federal government had approved upgrading of Tawau-Semporna road.
He said the upgrading work covering 41km at a cost of RM420 million will start from Tawau Airport while project design is being done.
John said the Lahad Datu-Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) road costing RM115 million had also been carried out to improve road infrastructure in the district.
The bypass project from Jalan Pesisiran-Tawau Airport is still under planning stage.