KUCHING, March 3: The RM223.6 million Batang Lupar 2 bridge project near Sri Aman, which involved the construction of a 870-metre-long cable bridge, is 96 days behind schedule due to shortage of workers.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that the completion date for the project undertaken by Naim Gamuda (Naga) joint venture has been revised to Feb 28, 2025 from its scheduled completion on Nov 24, 2023.
“We are cognisant of the fact that during the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign workers cannot come in. Then countries like China and Indonesia had adopted a close-door policy, but now they are opening up.
“The Sarawak government has formed a special task force to ensure all applications for foreign workers are speedily processed so that the problem can be solved,” he said in a statement today following a visit to the construction site of the Batang Lupar 2 bridge on Thursday (March 2).
Uggah, who is also the Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD), added that he had a fruitful discussion with the contractor’s representatives during the visit.
“They have identified their main problem.They need to get more workers, probably some construction materials… Otherwise they are quite ready to pick up on their work momentum to reach into the projected level,” he explained.
Uggah emphasised that MIPD and Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak will continue to communicate and help contractors resolve some issues caused by the pandemic so that they can complete public projects as scheduled with the expected quality.
On another matter, he said the Sarawak government also had the Variation of Price (VOP) policy to help contractors to recover from facing the surge in price for construction materials due to the pandemic.
He said it was very important that contractors, including road contractors, played their respective roles in ensuring that they could deliver as scheduled and with the quality expected.
“Now, we have a total of 10 bridges that we are building along our coastal highway. So we at MIPD together with JKR Sarawak will be monitoring their construction closely,” he said.
JKR Sarawak deputy director Cassidy Morris, who accompanied Uggah, expressed optimism that the iconic Batang Lupar 2 bridge could even be completed within this year when the contractor could get more workers. — DayakDaily
