KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Kuching-Samarahan Second Trunk Road Project aims to upgrade rural roads and serves as a catalyst for the development of a new deep-sea port and airport in Sarawak.

Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, Datuk Ir. Aidel Lariwoo said the road from Batang Sejingkat Bridge to Batang Samarahan Bridge via Kampung Tanjung Bako is an important component of the Sarawak Second Trunk Road project which connects areas from Kuching to Betong.

“Starting from the Batang Sejingkat Bridge, this route covers three construction packages, and for the D3C location where we are today, it covers seven kilometres out of the total 17 kilometres of the route.

“The remaining 10 kilometres of the route from Kampung Tanjung Bako to the Batang Sejingkat Bridge have been completed through the previous package,” he said during a site visit to the Second Kuching–Samarahan Trunk Road (D3C) Project, here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Datuk Ir. Aidel also revealed that this road extension will also be the initial foundation for future plans to connect strategic areas such as Tanjong Embang, Batu Belat, Beliong and Semilang Beradeh, which will eventually be integrated with the development of the deep-sea port and airport.

“We want to ensure that when the master plan for the new deep-sea port and airport is completed, this road route will be able to accommodate the twin transport network to support future logistics and connectivity needs,” he said.

In this regard, he also stressed the need for the project contractor to increase the rate of sand supply to form the embankment, given the large amount required and is critical for the physical progress of the work.

“We do not want this project to become another sick project. It is currently at 23.09 per cent compared to the targeted 23.13 per cent, which is just a little behind schedule.

“But we cannot take it lightly. Among the factors causing delays are utility issues, design changes, and delays in the supply of raw materials, especially sand,” he stressed.

This project is also classified as a rescue project by the state government, hence any delay will have a domino effect on long-term development plans, especially in coastal and rural areas.

Datuk Ir. Aidel also stated his ministry’s commitment to continue to closely monitor the implementation of this project and urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure that Sarawak’s infrastructure development vision is achieved. -UKASnews