New Batang Samarahan bridge ready before Gawai – Fadillah

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawakians are assured that they can use the new Batang Samarahan bridge before the Gawai festival this year.

Works Minister and Petra Jaya incumbent Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the project was ahead of schedule.

“At first, the contractors said it might be ready before June 22. I have been told that we can expect to see the bridge completed earlier than that and maybe by the end of this month,” he said.

“All it takes now is to do finishing touches on the bridge and also some upgrading and realignment works on the few stretches of the road that leads to the bridge, on both sides of it,” he said.

He informed this to reporters yesterday after officiating at a ceremony to do final stitching works on the bridge.

Others present at the ceremony were Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Kota Samarahan incumbent Rubiah Wang.

It was reported in March this year that the bridge would be completed on June 24 this year ( later on June 22) despite the project reportedly experiencing a slight delay before this.

With a total length of 790 metres (abutment to abutment), the bridge’s construction cost is estimated at RM93 million.

Meanwhile, Rubiah said she was proud that the Barisan Nasional ( BN) had built the bridge for the people in her area.

As such, she hoped that the people would not forget what BN had done for them and translate their gratitude into votes for BN during polling day.

“We already have a huge infrastructure given to us here in the form of this Batang Samarahan bridge. I hope the people of Kota Samarahan parliamentary area realise that if they want more development, they should vote the BN candidate in this area which is me,” said Rubiah.

The long queues at the Kota Samarahan ferry point during festive seasons would soon be a thing of the past when the new Batang Samarahan bridge is completed, besides being a catalyst for economic activities and more development in the area.

Fadillah (front row, left), Rubiah (front row, second left) and Abdul Karim (front row, third left) seen patching a hole on the Batang Samarahan bridge with concrete to symbolically mark the final stitching works on the bridge yesterday. Also seen are...