More carriageways under Package 04 to open soon
KUCHING: More carriageways from Pantu Junction to Batang Skrang (Works Package 04) of Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak will be opened to road users soon.
Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU) in a statement on its website announced that another 12km of the carriagewasy on this stretch in Sri Aman Division would be ready in the next three months.
LBU project manager for Works Package 04 Ramasamy Kailasan said in a statement that 8km of the 12km stretch is in Bukit Begunan while 4km is in Sri Aman section.
It also said that 10km of carriageway on the same stretch was already open to traffic this year, starting with the first one in Sri Aman section since February, Sg Merah Bridge in Bukit Begunan section since March, and Bukit Begunan section since August.
“Other than the 12km, we have so far completed 16km of the first carriageway up to binder course level in Bukit Begunan section. From the 16km, we have opened 10km to traffic. As for the Sri Aman section, we have opened 1.5km to road users,” Ramasamy said.
Construction of Works Package 04, undertaken by Naim Gamuda JV Sdn Bhd as the main contractor, is divided into Bukit Begunan and Sri Aman sections with 44.7km and 46.4km of road works respectively.
It also involves construction of nine bridges and the Sri Aman Interchange. The longest bridges to be constructed are Batang Lupar Bridge at 110m and Batang Skrang at 100m.
Meanwhile, Ramasamy said the project team is currently working on the deck slab for the two-span Sri Aman Interchange.
“We are targeting to complete this 60m long interchange by December next year. Once completed, this interchange will ease the traffic plying between Sri Aman and Kuching and Betong and vice versa,” he added.
Ramasamy also said the first carriageway for the three bridges in Bukit Begunan section i.e. Sungai Merah Bridge, Sungai Engkramut Bridge and Sungai Dor Bridge had already been opened to traffic.
“The first carriageway for the other two bridges i.e. Sungai Klauh and Sungai Raya Bridge is expected to be ready by end of this year. Works on the remaining three bridges in Sri Aman section are progressing well while we have launched the precast girders for Batang Undup Bridge in June this year,” he said.
LBU is the project delivery partner for the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak involving 1,077km stretch of the highway, comprising 11 works packages (WPCs).
The first WPC stretching a distance of 32.77 from Telok Melano-Sematan had already been completed in January.
LBU had announced on Tuesday that another 9km of carriageway in WPC 09 involving the Sungai Arip Bridge to Bintulu Airport Junction stretch in Bintulu will also be ready ion the next three months.
It said this is on top of the 12km carriageways which have already been open to road users in July.