Fadillah (centre) with the delegation inspecting the roads of Jalan Sebaru in Bintulu. — Photo by Harry Izzdin
BINTULU (June 10): The federal government is optimistic that the entire Phase One project of the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway from Telok Melano to Miri will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2023.
This was said by Senior Works Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof in a press statement on the second day of the ‘Jelajah FTRoadpedia’ Sarawak tour, which aims to review the latest developments in the construction of the highway as well as monitoring the maintenance of federal roads in the state.
Fadillah led the trip, which covers districts across Sibu and Bintulu, by bus.
Today, the tour delegation was brought to review the current development of the highway on the following work packages— Work Package 7, which covers the Bintangor junction to Sungai Kua Bridge spanning 75.97 kilometres (km); Work Package 8, from Sungai Kua Bridge to Sungai Arip Bridge spanning 63.67 km; and Work Package 9, from the Sungai Arip bridge to Bintulu Airport junction spanning 64.53km.
According to Fadillah, two sections of Work Package 7 have been fully completed, namely the Batang Rajang Bridge section and Julau section.
“The Sibu section is 80 per cent complete and is expected to be fully completed by December 2022,” he said, adding the cost for Work Package 7 was RM1.621 million.
As for Work Package 8, which costs RM1.25 million, the Selangau section will be open to road users by July 2022 and is 94 per cent complete while the Balingian section is expected to be fully completed in May 2023 with a completion status of 72 per cent.
For the RM1.236 million Work Package 9, the Bintulu section is expected to be fully complete in December 2022, with a completion status of 75 per cent, while the 74 per cent completed Tatau section is expected to be fully complete by March 2023.
As for federal roads in the state, the total length stands at 794.106km, including the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway route.
Fadillah said the federal government has allocated RM64.01 million for routine maintenance work, periodic pavement and non-pavement works, minor bridge repairs, maintenance of bills and traffic lights for federal roads in Sarawak.
Among the routine maintenance work carried out include lawn-mowing, patching of potholes and minor emergency works such as reports of fallen trees.
To date, a total of 2,122 potholes have been patched from January to May this year based on complaints and monitoring work.
Among the main causes of damage to federal roads include the high number of vehicles passing through them such as heavy vehicles such as lorries and trailers carrying excessive loads beyond the allowed limit.
Fadillah said the Ministry of Works will continue to appeal to the Finance Ministry for a larger allocation according to the priority, critical level and urgency of the affected federal road under the pavement maintenance programme.
“This is necessary to cover the cost of road maintenance expenses in Sarawak, specifically to provide and ensure Malaysians are able to enjoy a much more comfortable infrastructure,” he said.