Big construction jobs to kick off next year

CONSTRUCTION players planning for the start of big-ticket jobs finally got the news they were waiting for. The large construction jobs valued at more than RM150bil will be dished out next year.

The RM55bil East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will kick off in January, while the construction of the MRT3 or the circle line will be expedited to be completed by 2025, earlier than the initial target of 2027.

The next few years look promising for Gamuda Bhd, George Kent (M) Bhd, WCT Holdings Bhd, Gabungan AQRS Bhd, Mudajaya Bhd, Sunway Construction Bhd, Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd and TRC Synergy Bhd.

In order to ensure a balanced economic spillover between urban and rural areas, the Government will improve logistics and transport infrastructure through the ECRL project which connects Port Klang to Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan, which has the capacity to transport cargo and passengers in four hours. For now, more than 1,000 firms are competing for civil work packages for the construction of the new 688km rail line that will link states on the east coast to the Klang Valley.

Meanwhile, the MRT2 Line from Sungai Buloh–Serdang– Putrajaya, spanning 52km and covering 37 stations with an estimated construction cost of RM32bil, will go on. It is estimated to be completed by 2022.

A sum of RM110mil has also been allocated to provide an alternative road to Port Klang to smoothen and complement the transportation network.

Furthermore, the construction of the LRT3 project, which will connect Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, Klang, is expected to be completed by February 2021.

Another construction commitment is the high-speed rail project, which will connect Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in a distance of 350km in 90 minutes to be completed by 2026.

The West Coast Highway from Banting, Selangor, to Taiping, Perak is under construction at an estimated cost of RM5bil.

As for the Central Spine Road, RM230mil has been allocated to continue the construction of the road from Raub to Bentong and Gua Musang, Kelantan, to Kampung Relong, Pahang.