Ministry takes safety in road projects seriously
KUCHING: The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation ( MIDT) is taking safety as a serious issue that requires diligent and continuous effort.
MIDT in a press statement said the ministry and its agencies are placing safety as their utmost concern and priority, especially along ongoing construction sites such as the Mile 10 to Mile 15 project which is progressing smoothly.
According to the ministry, the contactor is putting all efforts to complete the project and has so far completed 79.2 per cent of the total 8.1 km stretch of the road.
This stretch of road does not fall under the ambit of the Pan Borneo Highway contract per se where the project director is the permanent secretary of MIDT but it is under the regional manager ( Southern) under the purview of the director of Public Works.
The two lanes (towards Serian) have been 100 per cent tar-sealed and are currently open to the public, while the premixing of the other two lanes (towards Kuching) is at a 50 per cent completion stage.
The statement also revealed that the contractor is targeting to complete all the remaining premix works in March this year and the balance of the bridge works by the end of April. The whole project is expected to be completed by early June this year.
To date, 7.1 km of the road have been installed with street lighting since Oct 2017, out of which 5.1 km have been energised and lighted up.
Advanced warning signboards and safety barriers are also installed at strategic locations at their project sites.
However, further enhancement will be carried out from time to time to ensure that the highest level of safety for all road users is maintained at all times.
The statement also added that the safety of road users and workers during construction is the responsibility of all parties involved, be it road users, construction workers, contractors, supervising consultants, implementing agencies and the coordinating ministry.
On this note, MIDT is calling on safety officers under all implementing agencies to be vigilant to assess all “risks and hazards” at construction sites and immediate mitigation plans to be in place to avoid accidents.
Inspection by safety officers of implementing agencies on a daily basis must be done as all risks and hazards at construction sites change constantly.
The ministry is also requesting for all road users to be vigilant at all times and to be extra careful while the construction is on-going.
One of the ways the ministry pointed out is to reduce vehicle speed upon approaching road construction sites and be alert of the hazards that may be encountered along the way.
On another note, the ministry has formed a new safety committee to oversee all safety aspects not only in road construction but also the whole of the transport system which includes air, land and sea during their first meeting in Nov, 2017.
MIDT also extended apologies for any inconvenience caused during the construction period, which is unavoidable. The ministry also gave assurance that disturbances will be kept to the minimum at all times.
Road users are also kindly advised to drive slowly and cautiously at the road construction zones and where possible to use alternative routes or avoid travelling at night. The maximum speed recommended at road construction zone is 30km/hr.