By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 4: Senior Minister of Works Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof hopes that the second phase of the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road (SSLR) can be awarded to a contractor by early next year at the latest so that construction can begin immediately.
He said Phase 2, which connects Miri to Limbang and Lawas without passing through Brunei, is one of the Ministry of Work’s priority projects.
“This is because SSLR is the main connecting road which we need to open for Limbang and Lawas as they have no access to other areas when Brunei closed its borders,” he said at a press conference after an engagement session with the media held at the Waterfront Hotel here last night (Sept 3).
Fadillah further said that the project is currently being finalised by the Ministry of Finance in terms of procurement.
At the same time, he said the Trans Borneo Highway (LTB) project which is the missing link from the Kuala Baram junction in Miri to the Sungai Tujoh Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Kuala Belit, Brunei is also in the pipeline.
“Hopefully (the LTB project) can be finalised by year end and start construction works next year,” he stated.
He also mentioned that the ceiling cost for both SSLR and LTB projects would be about RM12 billion, adding that the confirmed project cost will only be finalised after the completion of value management and value engineering processes.
Meanwhile, Fadillah informed that his ministry is currently implementing four projects in the State amounting to RM1.636 billion.
They are the construction of the Jalan Medan Jaya-Jalan Tun Hussein Onn flyover in Bintulu, upgrading of Route 8108 Jalan Datuk Musa up to G3 Kota Samarahan Roundabout, construction of an access road to the south of Kuching International Airport (KIA) and the first phase of the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road (SSLR) from Lawas to Long Lopeng Junction.
Additionally, he said it has included Red Line projects in its proposal for the Second Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) but reminded that this will compete with other proposals from other ministries for approval.
Red Line projects refer to upgrading of roads connected to the Pan Borneo Highway to be according to JKR standard. This covers about a total of 200km of roads in Kuching-Serian, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. — DayakDaily
