CHUKAI, July 20 — The inconvenience of having roads being cut off due to the flooding faced by residents in Chukai has finally been resolved, after the completion of the upgrade work of the federal road FT237, connecting the area to Air Putih.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said that the Terengganu Public Works Department (JKR) started the project, costing RM192.8 million, in May 2017. It was finally completed in April, this year.

“This project involves upgrading the existing road along 11.4 kilometres, from the Chukai Toll interchange at the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2) to federal road FT003 in Kemaman, with a wider JKR R5 standard.

“There is also a new bridge stretching 25 metres (m) across Sungai Tempurung, a 313m long Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) flood barrier bridge and the road level was raised two metres high at the flood locations,” he told reporters after witnessing the handover of the project from state JKR to Works Ministry (KKR), here today.

Nanta said that his ministry had received an application from the Terengganu government to upgrade and raise the level of the road to reduce the effects of the floods, apart from providing comfortable and safe public infrastructure for motorists.

“JKR always monitors needs, especially in areas affected by floods. The ministry has data and information, so after identifying the needs, we find a solution with the available finances for repair work as soon as possible, with a priority on the federal roads,” he said.

In the meantime, he said that last year, his ministry had allocated more than RM28 million for the upgrade and repair project of 68 federal roads in Terengganu, involving periodic and non-periodic maintenance of pavements.

Periodic pavement works include road paving and repair works such as resurfacing, milling and partial reconstruction.

The non-periodic pavement works involve repair, overhaul, replacement and new installation of all non-pavement items in the road reserve, such as constructing new concrete drains and installing road signage, as well as structural and slope repairs. — Bernama