By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 19: The first phase of the Pan Borneo Highway project will be completed and open to the public by year end, says Senior Minister of Works Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof.
Phase one of the project has a total length of 786km which is divided into 11 work packages stretching from Telok Melano to Miri.
“To date, we have implemented the opening of several sections (work packages) including Telok Melano (to Sematan), Serian to Balai Ringin, and Julau (to Sibu).
“And today’s opening on the Nyabau Section (from Nyabau to Bakun) is the fourth section under the Pan Borneo Highway packages.
“We are targeting that phase one of the project from Telok Melano to Miri, up until the end of this year, will be opened,” he said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Nyabau Section held in Bintulu today.
Fadillah who is also Petra Jaya MP further mentioned that the Federal Cabinet has agreed in principle that the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road will be the second phase of the Pan Borneo Highway project.
“Initially, the second phase of the project was supposed to involve construction from Limbang to Lawas. However, it has been taken over as a new road alignment project by the Sarawak government.
“Therefore, we (Federal government) have agreed in principle to shift our focus to Sabah-Sarawak Link Road (as the second phase of Pan Borneo Highway project) where its first phase has been completed.
“The remainder of RM7 billion has been approved for the implementation of the second phase and it will be further finetuned later,” he explained. — DayakDaily
