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By Nur Ashikin Louis
PUTRAJAYA, June 6: The maintenance work involving Sibu Airport Road is subject to a priority list to be prepared by the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR), says Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
The road stretching from Sibu Airport Junction Road to Sibu City Centre passing through Sibu Airport Road, Deshon Road and Brooke Drive Road, is 54.70km long.
“The Ministry (MoW) has taken note of the needs to implement the maintenance work in that location and we will give it due consideration to be included for the maintenance work list in the approval of allocations under the upcoming periodic maintenance programme.
“However, approval for maintenance work for the location as proposed is subject to a priority list to be prepared by JKR Sarawak,” he said when responding to Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew during Dewan Rakyat Special Chamber Session in Dewan Rakyat today.
He pointed out that the MoW is only an implementing agency, and any allocation of funds is channelled through the Central Agency and this fund channel is subject to the Federal government’s current financial availability and ability as well as the priority of project applications requested by the Sarawak government.
Nanta further said the Federal government through MoW has carried out routine maintenance on the road with an estimated allocation of RM140,000 per month while RM35.05 million has been allocated for periodic pavement and periodic non-pavement works from 2018 to 2022.
As of May this year, the ministry has patched 182 potholes under Routine Maintenance works.
For roads that are badly damaged due to the weakness of the pavement structure, maintenance works have been carried out under the Periodic Pavement Maintenance programme with an allocation of RM12.5 million.
“The ministry has introduced a new method in road pavement, which is the use of specialty mix additives in the pavement such as ‘Geopoly Mattress’ and ‘Super Fiber Mix (SFM)’ aimed at increasing the strength of the road structure and increasing the durability of the road pavement,” he added.
Nanta also informed Ling that the Ministry has received a proposed project from the Sarawak government on the upgrading of Jalan Ulu Oya from one lane to two lanes, from Mile 5 Traffic Light of Sibu Airport Road to Mile 12 Intersection.
The project is proposed for the Fourth Rolling Plan (RP4) of 12th Malaysia Plan but Nanta stressed that the Federal government will prioritise projects under the Sarawak government’s priority list. – DayakDaily
