3 bridges for coastal road, flyover in Bintulu approved
KUCHING: Three bridges for the coastal road and a flyover in Bintulu costing a total of RM1 billion have been approved for Sarawak under the 11th Malaysia Plan ( 11MP), revealed Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said the three bridges are for Batang Rambungan, Batang Lupar and Batang Igan.
“I read with keen interest the reports on Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing’s two- day coastal trip which he organised from Jan 5-7.
“As the coastal road is under the purview of the state government, the federal government will assist in the construction of bridges to link the road. For that, the federal government has approved RM1 billion for the three bridges; namely for Batang Rambungan, Batang Lupar and Batang Igan and the flyover in Bintulu which have been approved for implementation,” Fadillah told
As the coastal road is under the purview of the state government, the federal government will assist in the construction of bridges to link the road. For that, the federal government has approved RM1 billion for the three bridges; namely for Batang Rambungan, Batang Lupar and Batang Igan and the flyover in Bintulu which have been approved for implementation.
The Borneo Post here yesterday.
However, he said the federal government would only provide half of the total cost for Batang Lupar bridge which would cost a whopping RM1 billion to build. As agreed, he said the remaining RM500 million would be borne by the state government.
Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, disclosed that the other bridges which are considered as ‘ missing links’ would be built when the federal government could afford them. The bridges which are not included under the 11MP are for Batang Saribas, Batang Krian and Kuala Kemena.
“We ( both state and federal governments) are working closely on the infrastructure development for Sarawak. But currently our focus is to complete the RM16billion Pan Borneo Highway which is scheduled for completion by 2023,” he said.
Fadillah was commenting on Masing’s recent comments that the 928km stretch of coastal road from Kuching to Miri will be a seamless drive for motorists in the next five years, if all the bridges are built.
However, to realise that vision, Masing said five major bridges at Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Batang Krian, Batang Igan and Kuala Kemena, costing some RM2.5 billion, would have to be constructed.
“I can foresee that seamless driving from Kuching to Miri could be achieved in the next five years with the completion of these five bridges,” Masing told a press conference at Kampung Seberang some 48 km from Bintulu recently.
Masing was leading a convoy for two days, covering a total distance of 728 km by bus, just to get a feel of the condition of the road and the projects that still needed to be done.
“The road is now drivable, so if we have these five bridges constructed in the future, I can foresee that the journey from here ( Bintulu) until Miri, will be uninterrupted with the completion of the last bridge which we plan to build at Kuala Kemena.
“In a way, that would be the last missing link that will complete the seamless drive from Kuching to Miri and vice versa,” added Masing.
Masing, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, believed that the Kuala Kemena bridge could be tabled for discussion under the mid-term review.
Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Works Minister