MAJOR UPGRADING OF PAN BORNEO HIGHWAY: Shaziman studies a map of the highway.
MIRI: The Economic Planning Unit is studying a proposal to build between 90 and 100 overtaking lanes of one kilometre in length each along the Pan Borneo Highway. Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Mansor said this proposed project was estimated to cost RM400 million.
He said a total of six projects for the construction of these overtaking lanes along Serian to Miri were being planned.
“They (overtaking lanes) will be given top priority by the ministry. They could be implemented without waiting for the outcome from the study by Economic Planning Unit,” he told reporters after inspecting several federal government-funded road upgrading projects here yesterday.
For the time being, the federal government has allocated RM423 million to upgrade the highway from Sabah to Sarawak.
The initial sum of RM100 million, he said, would be made available soon. They are to be shared equally between the two states.
For the Sarawak side, Shaziman said the 217km stretch from Sibu to Bintulu and the 207km stretch from Bintulu to Miri would be given priority attention.
“This is because these stretches are being used daily by many commercial and heavy vehicles rushing to Bintulu and other ports in the state’s central region.”
In terms of road upgrading projects, he said 19 had been identified for the state’s highway.
Out of this, seven would be for pavement rehabilitation and resurfacing of certain stretches along Tedungan-Panduruan Road in Limbang), Mengkalap-Sindumin Road (Lawas) and Bintulu-Miri Road.
Another five projects would be to improve road safety, including building an overhead pedestrian bridge in Tarat, Miri and Siburan; guardrails along Kuching-Serian Road; and safety programmes in Sibu.
“There will be one project to repair the failed section of a road at Semukol, KM77 of the Serian-Sri Aman Road.”
Asked by reporters why the federal government had opted to only upgrade the roads and not expand them into a dual carriage way, he explained that the current traffic volume of about 10,000 vehicles daily was only 50 per cent of what is needed to construct dual carriageways.
“There is also a lack of response from private contractors to come forward to build a highway in the state.
“Once a highway is built by a private contractor, road users will have to pay toll to use them and for their maintenance.”
While here, Shaziman inspected the progress of Phase I of the Pujut 7-Permyjaya Road upgrading works which includes construction of a traffic light junction and a bridge. He then proceeded to visit Permyjaya, the Asean Bridge, Tudan Road and Miri-Bintulu Road.
He was accompanied by state Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Assistant Minister of Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin, political secretary to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Sebastian Ting and Mayor Lawrence Lai.