By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 2: Sarawak will commence construction of the long-awaited Northern Coastal Highway (NCH) in the third quarter of this year, creating a seamless road link between Limbang and Lawas via Brunei.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the 87.96km highway will integrate two cross-border checkpoints, namely Tedungan–Pandaruan (Limbang) and Mengkalap–Merapok (Lawas), to significantly improve connectivity in the northern region.
“Construction is scheduled to begin Q3 2025, funded by the Sarawak government,” he said when speaking at the ‘Citarasa dan Tautan Budaya Sarawak–Brunei 2025’ programme at Stadium Negara Hassanal Bolkiah in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei today. A copy of his speech text was shared to DayakDaily after the programme.
Currently, road users must pass through multiple Bruneian border checkpoints along the journey, causing delays and logistical challenges, particularly for SMEs, commercial transport and emergency services.
Once completed, the NCH project worth over RM6 billion is expected to shorten travel time, support tourism flow, and open new opportunities in border towns such as Tedungan, Pandaruan, Trusan and Merapok. – DayakDaily
