Dosh: Stop-work order on elevated road project stays
‘Safety checks to be done at site after mishap involving falling concrete beams’
BALIK PULAU: The stop-work order on the 600m elevated road project linking Jalan Bukit Kukus to Jalan Tun Sardon has not been lifted.
Penang Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) director Mohd Rosdee Yaacob said they were not satisfied with the contractor’s explanation at a Monday meeting.
The contractor was slapped with the stopwork order following a mishap at the site where 14 concrete beams, measuring 25m each, fell onto a slope in Jalan Tun Sardon last Thursday. No injuries were reported.
It is learnt that a crane operator accidentally knocked down one of the beams laid on the ground, causing others to fall onto the slope.
“We need a detailed report of how it happened exactly since this concerns public safety and those at work.
“The contractor has been told to give us a full report on the incident and furnish us with solutions.
“We will not lift the stop-work order as we are not satisfied with the report.
“We are also checking if they are following standard operating procedures at the work site or if they have violated any laws,” he said when contacted yesterday.
State Works Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) was still waiting for the outcome of investigations at the work site.
“The council will take action but it depends
We will not lift the stopwork order as we are not satisfied with the report. Mohd Rosdee Yaacob
on the findings, and if there was indeed negligence on the contractor’s side.
“We are still waiting for a full report from the contractor,” Zairil said.
MBPP personnel have since visited the site. The construction of the elevated road, together with the upgrading of a 1.1km stretch along Lebuhraya Thean Teik and a 1.5km stretch along Lebuh Bukit Jambul, is an MBPP project.
It costs RM275.6mil and is scheduled for completion in mid-2020.
The three segments are part of the project for the construction of the RM545mil alternative road – Jalan Bukit Kukus – to help ease traffic snarls along Jalan Paya Terubong, which is an arterial road linking Bayan Baru, Balik Pulau and Air Itam.
The construction works involve linking Lebuhraya Thean Teik in Bandar Baru Air Itam and Lebuh Bukit Jambul in Penang via Jalan Bukit Kukus, building an elevated U-turn along Lebuh Bukit Jambul for those who want to make a turn and go back to Relau.
Once the alternative route is completed, traffic is expected to see a reduction of at least 30%.