KOTA SAMARAHAN, Oct 20 ― Three ongoing road and infrastructure upgrading projects from Sadong Jaya to Kuching city will upon completion help ease the daily traffic congestion along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, said Datuk Aidel Lariwoo.
The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development said the projects involve the construction of a new dual-carriageway road from Sadong Jaya to the Batang Samarahan bridge; upgrading of the existing Batang Samarahan bridge into a dual-carriageway bridge; and construction of a single-carriageway road which links the bridge to Tanjung Bako.
“As it stands, the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway now experiences high daily traffic volume especially during peak hours.
“The three projects have just started but I hope they will, upon completion, benefit the future population especially those living around the projects’ implementation area,” he told a press conference here yesterday after visiting the Batang Samarahan bridge upgrading project site.
Aidel, who is Sadong Jaya assemblyman, said the upgrading of the existing Batang Samarahan bridge to a dual-carriageway bridge, and the construction of a new 9.14km dual-carriageway road from Batang Samarahan bridge to Batang Sadong, are both under the Package A1-A of the Sarawak Second Trunk Road project.
“Next is Package D3C, which is the construction of a new single-carriageway road with a length of around 7km from Tanjung Bako to the Batang Samarahan bridge,” he added.
He said Package A1-A, worth RM529.83 million, was awarded to Ibraco Berhad’s subsidiary Ibraco Construction Sdn Bhd by the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) and is to be implemented within 42 months.
“The project implementation period is from August 8, 2023 to February 7, 2027 and as of today (Oct ober19), the physical progress of the A1-A project is around 0.01 per cent,” he said.
As for the D3C package worth RM106,968,880, he said it is managed by Sarawak JKR through its sub-contractors.
The project also commenced on August 8 this year and is expected to be completed by February 7, 2026 which is a period of 30 months.
With Aidel during the visit were Samarahan JKR divisional engineer Indra Sakti Haron and Ibraco Construction director Felix Su. ― Borneo Post