KAPIT: Minister of Works, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who is also the Member of Parliament for P.215 Kapit, officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nanga Kabah/SK Beguang/Sg. Song Road Project in Song, Kapit on Friday.
This project is a federal project under the Ministry of Rural Development and Regional Development (KKDW).
The rural road project, categorised as Phase 1 out of three (3) phases in total, connects Nanga Kabah to Nanga Melipis.
The Phase 1 project, spanning 16.375 kilometers, is expected to benefit over 3,000 local residents, enhance socioeconomic conditions, establish road networks to two schools, and serve as a vital land link to Kanowit Town and Sibu Town, subsequently connecting to the Pan Borneo Highway.
The project also involves the construction of three (3) bridges: Kabah River Bridge (72 meters), Beguang River Bridge (62 meters), and Temiang River Bridge (62 meters), adhering to JKR R3 road geometry standards.
The implementing agency for Phase 1 of the road project is the Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS).
The Ministry of Works (KKR) also plans to follow up with the construction of a two-way bridge across the Batang Rejang, linking the Nanga Menuan/Nanga Setepus road to the Song-Kapit road, spanning approximately 900 meters, and a 600-meter New Destination road near the towns of Kapit and Song.
This project is currently under application under the New Development Project/Programme Rolling Plan 4, 12th Malaysia Plan (RP4, RMK12) for the year 2024.
"It will provide a safe and comfortable bridge and rural road transportation mode to Kapit Town, Song Town, and Kanowit Town compared to the current waterway transport," said Dato Sri Alexander Nanta.
The development of future infrastructure is aimed at the welfare of the Madani community, as currently, only 23.6 per cent of settlements in the Kapit Division are connected by public roads, while 76.4 per cent still rely on logging roads, palm oil roads, and water transport to Kapit Town.
The implementation of this project is another proof of the commitment of the Malaysian Unity Government in developing a more planned, systematic, and efficient road network.
This is in line with the aspiration of the MYJalan KKR Programme, which aims to continuously provide comfortable and safe infrastructure to all rakyat under Malaysia Madani. -UKASnews
