PM: Central Spine Road will benefit people in East Coast
Najib says dual carriageway reduces travel time, serves as alternative route to east coast
THE 390km Central Spine Road (CSR), which connects Bentong, Pahang, and Kota Baru, Kelantan, will benefit road users and the local communities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He said the CSR would reduce travel time and serve as an alternative route for those travelling to Kelantan as the current trunk road was congested during the festive seasons and school holidays.
Najib said the dual carriageway stretch would boost connectivity between the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia.
“The CSR will reduce traffic congestion during the festive seasons. Sometimes, it takes 14 hours to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru, so motorists can use this stretch for a comfortable drive.
“The CSR also has viaducts for wild animals to cross. About RM40 million had been spent on the elevated roads.
“The CSR deploys the Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement method, which has high durability and the quality is equal to the highways in Switzerland and Germany.
“A world-class highway in Merapoh is set to change the landscape here and lead Malaysia to developed-nation status,” Najib said before opening a section of the CSR between Kampung Kubang Rusa and Merapoh here yesterday.
Once completed, Najib said, the CSR would allow motorists to bypass Bentong and Raub towns, which are crowded due to the increase in traffic volume during weekends.
He said the CSR, which costs about RM11 billion, had 65 per cent left to be completed. Giving a strong mandate to the government in the 14th General Election would ensure that the project is successfully completed, he added.
“We do not make short-term plans. The efforts today are a continuity from the days of the late Tunku (Abdul Rahman) and Tun Abdul Razak (Hussein). We can carry out all the projects because the country is in good hands and is well administered.”
The CSR comprises six phases of connectivity — Kuala Krai to Jambatan Sungai Lakit, Kelantan (51km); Jambatan Sungai Lakit to Gua Musang, Kelantan (63km); Gua Musang to Kampung Relong, Pahang (107km); Kampung Relong to Raub, Pahang (56km); Raub to Bentong (60km) and Bentong to Simpang Pelangai (53km).
Najib later launched a section of the CSR, which began construction in March 2015 and was completed in March this year at a cost of RM140.6 million. It was RM35.55 million lower than the actual cost.
Present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and Public Works Department director-general Datuk Seri Dr Roslan Md Taha.