PEKAN, April 15 — Repair works on the damaged Bailey bridge at Section 102, Federal Route 12 Kuantan-Segamat Road, will begin early next week, said Pahang Public Works Department (JKR) director Datuk Hafizah Zakaria.

Consequently, the route will be fully closed to allow for repairs, with prior notice of road closure issued to allow users to plan their journeys.

"We will inform the date of the road closure and provide alternative routes so users can plan their travels,” she told reporters after inspecting the bridge today.

JKR, in a statement last night, identified heavy vehicles, especially those exceeding the 20-tonne load limit, as the cause of the bridge’s damage. Monitoring on-site found that the steel plates connecting the ramp to the road had been damaged.

The Bailey bridge was previously opened to light vehicles not exceeding the 20-tonne load limit on Jan 27, aiming to reconnect roads disrupted by floods in early January.

Meanwhile, Hafizah advised users to adhere to the specified load limit to prevent future damage.

Earlier, a viral video showing the damaged Bailey bridge and traffic congestion on the route during the Aidilfitri celebration made the rounds on social media. — Bernama