Photo showing the ongoing construction at the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, which has caused traffic woes. — Photo credit: Facebook/Chong Chieng Jen
KOTA SAMARAHAN (Jan 3): Dato Peter Minos is requesting for the patience of members of the public who use the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway because the Public Works Department (JKR) is very committed in completing the traffic light project along the expressway.
According to the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman, although the project is a JKR project and is not one by the council, the project is still located in MPKS’ area, hence he felt that the council still has the need to react to public concerns.
“JKR and its new ‘rescue’ contractor are doing their very best on the project. MPKS is told that the project will be completed by November this year while MPKS also sees that the new contractor is very serious with its work, complete with the necessary workers and machinery.
“MPKS is thus happy of its performance but of course, in trying to solve the daily massive traffic jam problems at the roundabouts, there is the inevitable n unavoidable new problems including some traffic jams and thus some public inconveniences,” he explained in a statement today.
He nevertheless assured that JKR and its contractor are doing everything to minimise the jam problems together with the traffic police at needed times such as when doing work at night when the roads are least used.
“So MPKS really hopes members of the public affected to understand and exercise patience, tough it may be. Kindly give patience and peace to JKR and its contractor to work on and complete the project, hopefully by Nov (this year) the latest, although if earlier, the better,” he said.
JKR is currently implementing a traffic light project along the Kota Samarahan Expressway but the project is currently causing massive traffic congestions in the area of late.
Following the problem, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen had issued a statement yesterday urging Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi to prioritise the progress of the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway traffic light project.
Chong also said Nanta should also look into the traffic management during the implementation of the project which has of late caused massive traffic congestions in the area.
“Due to the poor road closure and rerouting planning of routes in the vicinity of the construction site, this has resulted in unbearable traffic jams for commuters along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
“We have received complaints from road users on the congestion including one where a driver took a shocking three hours to reach Hui Sing from Uni Garden in Samarahan. That is a journey one takes from Kuching to Sri Aman,” said Chong in his statement.
Chong in the statement also said the traffic light project, which started back in October 2020, was initially stalled due to “poor selection of contractors”.
“Now that a new contractor has been appointed, it was announced by the Public Works Department (JKR) that the project will take at least up to November this year to complete.
“A project taking more than three years to convert roundabouts into traffic light intersections is definitely unacceptable.
“More importantly, tens of thousands of road users are put to great inconvenience and time costs for the delay,” stressed Chong.