SIBU, June 7 — Routine maintenance works are being carried out for the road from Sibu Airport junction to Sibu town with an estimated allocation of RM140,000 per month, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said as much as RM35.05 million had also been allocated for pavement and non-pavement periodic works from 2018 to 2022 for this route.

"The ministry will also take immediate action as a short-term solution to the problem of potholes from the Sibu Airport Road roundabout to Sibu town centre, by implementing road patching or pothole patching under the routine maintenance work,” he said when replying to a question from Oscar Ling (DAP-Sibu).

Adding on, Nanta said as many as 182 potholes were patched up from January to May this year.

He said the badly damaged road was caused by weakness in the pavement structure, but that maintenance work had been carried out under the Pavement Periodic Maintenance Programme with allocations amounting to RM12.5 million.

"The ministry has also introduced a new method in road paving, namely the use of additives (specialty mix) in pavement such as Geopoly Mattress and Super Fiber Mix (SFM) that aim to increase the structural strength of the road to increase the life of the road pavement,” he said.

He informed that the total distance of federal roads in Sibu Division maintained by the concession company is 102.05km, while for the road from Sibu Airport junction to Sibu town (via Sibu Airport Road-Jalan Deshon-Jalan Brooke Drive), it is 54.7km.

Nanta said due consideration would also be given to the list of maintenance works at the location in the allocation approval under the upcoming periodic maintenance programme.

Ling had earlier brought up the condition of federal roads in Sibu, saying the condition of the road leading to Sibu Airport was very important as it would determine the first impression foreign travellers would have of Sibu.

"The condition of the road is an image of our country’s progress, and good roads will have a positive effect on tourist arrivals to our country. However, the road leading to Sibu Airport is very uncomfortable, with its undulating surfaces that threaten the safety of the drivers.

"It will also slow down the development of Sibu because it will drive away the interest of foreign investors to come to invest,” he said. — Borneo Post Online