KUCHING: The long-awaited Batu Kawa second bridge project is now awaiting a ground-breaking ceremony by the Premier, marking a major milestone in the area’s rapid development over the past decade.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the second bridge would significantly improve connectivity in Batu Kawa, which for the past 30 years has relied on only a single bridge despite rapid population and economic growth.
“Basically, the second bridge, it’s us waiting for the Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to go for the ground-breaking ceremony. The contractor, I think, has already been awarded.
“So, it’s not just the second bridge being ground breaking. In Batu Kawa, what has happened is, for the last 30 years, there’s only one bridge. For the next five years, there will be two bridges. So, that is how fast we are moving,” he said.
He said this in his speech during the Emart Batu Kawa’s Golden Paradise Street 2026 officiating event on Friday.
He noted that Batu Kawa in 2016 was vastly different from what it is today, describing the transformation as a clear sign that Sarawak is not only moving forward but “getting better and better”.
“Sarawak in 1996 is different from 2016, and Sarawak in 2016 is different from 2026. When I was first elected in 2016, there wasn’t even Emart Batu Kawa yet,” he said.
While acknowledging traffic congestion in Batu Kawa as a sign of growth, Dr Sim said the government is committed to addressing the issue through infrastructure development.
“In 2016, there were no traffic jams. But as of now, there’s still a lot of traffic jams, you know. People are still very busy.This is a good sign in the sense that people choose to live in Batu Kawa. And we will try our best to solve the traffic jams,” he said.
Dr Sim thanked residents and businesses for choosing Batu Kawa as a place to live, work and enjoy life, adding that long-term development has also driven up land and property values in the area.
“In the past, people said Batu Kawa was far and land was cheap. If you look at Emart Batu Kawa today and compare it with when it first started, you can see how much the value has changed,” he said.
