Deputy
Minister of Works Datuk Rosnah Shirlin today gave an update on the
progress of the upgrading works done on the 2, 239 kilometre-long
Pan-Borneo Highway.
The Pan-Borneo Highway was built in 1986 to
link the two East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. It begins in
the district of Sematan in Sarawak, and passes through Kuching, Serian,
Sri Aman, Sarikei, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang, Lawas, Kota Kinabalu,
Sandakan and Tawau. As of today, the Pan-Borneo Highway is 93 percent
completed, with a remainder of a 50-kilometre missing link from
Kalabakan to Serudong.
Through the Highway Network Development
Plan Phase 2, the Ministry of Works plans to upgrade the whole stretch
of the Pan-Borneo Highway to dual carriageway in stages at an estimated
cost of RM22 billion. Upgrading works began in 2011 and is estimated to
be completed by 2025.
Speaking at a press conference, Rosnah
disclosed that the Pan-Borneo road is fully tarred, with a total of 284.
65 kilometres already upgraded to dual carriageway.
1, 166
kilometres of the Pan-Borneo Highway is located in Sabah. Approximately
9.5 billion of the RM22-billion allocation will be spent to upgrade the
highway in the state.
Currently, two main upgrading projects are
underway in Sabah – the Petagas-Putatan-Lok Kawi Phase 1A and 1B road
and the Donggongon-Papar Phase 1 road – costing over RM369 million. The
Ministry expects that the upgrading works on these roads will completed
in a little over two years’ time.
Other projects currently done on
the Pan-Borneo Highway in Sabah include addressing the black spot
problems in certain areas, repairing roads and slopes, and the upgrading
of roads in areas that are prone to flooding. There are 86 projects of
this nature in the state, incurring a cost of RM277 million. Of this
number, 70 projects have already been completed.
The Ministry
faces many challenges in completing the Pan-Borneo upgrade, including
the problem of heavy vehicles carrying loads that exceed the 38-tonnes
load limit, which frequent the Pan-Borneo highway. This causes the roads
to become damaged prematurely, thus incurring high maintenance costs.
Rosnah
explained that this is a concern of her Ministry. To tackle the issue,
the Ministry is in talks with other authorities including the Road
Transport Department to find a lasting solution to the problem. The
feedback has so far been positive, she said.
“The government is
committed to complete and upgrade the Pan-Borneo Highway to increase
access to areas of economic growth as well as to cater to the well being
of the people,” she said.
Source: Insight Sabah
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