Collapsed bridge at Sg Tiasa: JKR opens temporary access for affected longhouse folk
The Public Works Department (JKR) has provided a temporary alternative to facilitate the connectivity of the longhouse residents at Sungai Tiasa to Kapit town, following the collapse of a steel bridge in their area last Sunday.
According to Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak steel director Datu Richard Tajan, the temporary access is now open to the public.
“This is a temporary access. “We will do some cost estimates (for a new permanent bridge) and submit them to the SDMC (State Disaster Management Committee) via the Resident’s Office.
“The plan was proposed under JKR, in view of the road being a JPKG (village road) under JKR.
“For the new bridge, we propose for it to be a steel structure with longer approach roads.
“The old bridge was constructed under RTP (Rural Transformation Programme) by Kapit District Council in 2017. It was linked to JPKG and primarily maintained by the JKR,” he said when contacted yesterday.
On Sunday, Kapit District Officer Cerisologo Sabut conducted an inspection on the site at Sungai Tiasa in the Yong area, about a 45-minute four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD) journey from Kapit town.
“I was informed about this unfortunate incident late last night (Sunday), and it is likely that severe erosion, made worse by the continuous heavy rainfall over the past week, had weakened the soil structure on both sides of the ravine and caused the bridge collapse,” Cerisologo told reporters, adding that incident had adversely affected the residents of Rumah Rolland Pangau and Rumah Mulai, both housing 100 families.