By Christine T
KUCHING, Oct 29: The Jalan Mendu Upgrading Project is now scheduled for completion in November, with Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng urging the contractor to finish the works as soon as possible to ease inconvenience for road users.
Wee said MBKS had been monitoring the project closely and had requested a revised schedule with a shorter completion period, stressing that the council wanted the contractor to expedite the remaining works rather than wait until the new deadline.
“The schedule shows they will be finished by November. But I told them, please do it as soon as possible,” he said during the press conference for MBKS BBQ evening today.
Wee explained that terminating the existing contract and appointing a new contractor could delay the project by at least six months, in addition to other administrative complications.
Wee acknowledged that project delays were undesirable for both the council and contractors, but stressed that the priority should be finding ways to resolve the problems and complete the works for the benefit of the public.
In August, Wee said the Jalan Mendu Upgrading Project had been delayed by a conflict between the proposed drainage works and an existing water supply pipeline which is located in a different area from what was indicated in the available utility records and project drawings.
At the time, the contractor was awaiting final approval from Sarawak Water for pipeline relocation works, which were expected to take about three days once approval was granted. The project had initially been targeted for completion by Sept 15, 2026, subject to the relocation and other works proceeding without further unforeseen circumstances.
MBKS had also ordered the contractor to rectify safety issues at the site, including improperly secured temporary traffic barriers and exposed reinforcement steel bars, while directing the supervising consultant to strengthen site supervision.
Wee said the council remained focused on getting the project completed, adding that the ultimate goal was to resolve the outstanding issues and minimise disruption to the public. –DayakDaily
