Ministry in frequent dialogue with local communities on coastal road bridges, says Masing
THE Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation ( MIDT) has held various dialogues and engagement sessions with the local communities on the implementation of bridges along the planned coastal road.
It minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, revealed that the dialogues were on building bridges across Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Sungai Krian, Batang Rajang, Batang Paloh and Muara Lassa.
On top of that, he said a dialogue for the proposed Batang Kemena bridge at Kuala Kemena has also been planned and will be carried out soon.
“The Public Works Department has also appointed consultants and completed the preliminary works for sites of these bridges,” he said in his winding- up speech at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.
Masing also said the main components of the Coastal Road Network Project are Batang Rambungan Bridge and Batang Igan Bridge, which will be funded by the federal government; Batang Lupar Bridge, which will be funded jointly by the federal and the state government on a 50: 50 basis; Batang Rajang Bridge including 17km access road; Batang Saribas Bridge; Sungai Krian Bridge; Batang Paloh Bridge; Muara Lassa Bridge; Bintulu/Jepak Bridge crossing Kuala Kemena; and upgrading of Kidurong to Samalaju coastal road including connecting the road to Bakun junction.
He said all these will be funded and implemented by the state government and the construction is expected to commence in the middle of next year with Sungai Krian bridge as the ‘kick- off project’.
“The construction period is expected to be five years for all the bridges along the Coastal Road Network,” he pointed out.
On the expressway from Kuching to Sibu and Sebuyau to Betong, Masing said the ultimate objective of the expressway is to reduce travelling time and the expressway is important as the main population clusters – Kuching/ Samarahan, Sri Aman/ Betong and Sibu/Sarikei – will benefit from its development.
“Presently, these three clusters are linked by the existing Coastal Road Network which is served by ferry crossings and Pan Borneo Highway, which are time consuming.
“The expressway serves to connect these clusters to Kuching, but with another shorter route - sandwiched between the Coastal Road Network and Pan Borneo Highway.”
He said the expressway will shorten the distance from Sibu to Kuching by approximately 170 km.
Presently, it takes five hours to drive from Kuching to Sibu through the Pan Borneo Highway but the travelling time via this new expressway would be reduced to only about three and a half hours, he added.
He also disclosed that the construction of the proposed expressway is to be divided into two packages.
“Package A from Kuching, Sebuyau, Roban to Sibu is about 255 km in length. Package B from Sebuyau to Sri Aman and Betong is around 100 km in length,” he said.
Besides contributing to man-hour productivity and shortening travelling time and saving cost, the new expressway will open up areas previously inaccessible for development.
“Gains in economic productivity and the development of idle lands into productive assets might mean that the return in the long-run is more than what we expect,” he said.