Study on five bottlenecks in Sibu next month
SIBU: A study costing almost RM300,000 will be done to cover five bottlenecks (roads) here next month.
Chairman of United People’s Party ( UPP) Community Service Board (Sibu) Datuk Andrew Wong said Kuching- based consultant, Jurutera Jasa Sarawak, had been appointed to undertake the study.
He said the five areas were Deshon Road/ Ling Kai Cheng Road junction, UCTS ( University College of Technology Sarawak) roundabout, Oya Road (in front of SMK Sacred Heart), Sing Ang Tong Methodist Church and Ulu Sungai Merah.
Citing Ulu Sungai Merah, Wong said about 3,500 households and about 7,000 vehicles were using a single-lane road there.
“The study will be fully funded by UPP Community Service Board (Sibu), and will take about six months to complete.
“Once the study has been completed, we will submit it to the state and federal governments to bid for funds to carry out the improvement works. That is most important.
“The implementing agency will either be Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) or Public Works Department (JKR).
“For example, Oya Road comes under JKR, hence we have to bid for funds, put it with JKR and it will do the road.
“For those roads under SMC, we will bid for funds to be given to the council to carry out the work,” Wong said.
He told reporters this when met at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house of Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee on Tuesday.
On the allocation to bid for the entire project, Wong said this would depend on the outcome of the study.
He, however, said they would not bid for the entire project but a single sum for a particular area, depending on which area was more critical.
“That means, one sum for Oya Road, and another for Ulu Sungai Merah and so on. If you are looking at Ulu Sungai Merah Road, we need to widen the road.
“So, we are talking anything from about RM10 million to RM15 million. We are not only widening the road, but also need to shift the electricity and telephone poles and water pipes,” he said.
As for Ling Kai Cheng Road, he said they had asked the consultant whether they could do a shallow pass due to the narrow road reserve for a flyover.
Wong said the study was crucial to provide justification to the government to allocate some funding.
“If you don’t do the study, the government will question ‘ why spend RM10 million to RM15 million to upgrade a road?”
He added that the same consultant had carried out similar studies in Miri and
The study will be fully funded by UPP Community Service Board (Sibu), and will take about six months to complete. Datuk Andrew Wong, chairman of United People’s Party (UPP) Community Service Board (Sibu)