KUCHING: Construction of the Batu Kawa-Stephen Yong road link here is progressing ahead of schedule, with physical works at 3.86 per cent against a targeted 2.77 per cent as of June 25.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo, who conducted a working visit to the site on Tuesday (July 7), said the project’s smooth progress so far gave him confidence in the contractor’s ability to complete the works on time.
The 5.664-kilometre dual-carriageway, runs from the Batu Kawa–Matang junction near Sungai Moyan to the Stephen Yong junction, and includes two reinforced concrete bridges — a 74.8-metre span over Sungai Moyan and a 280.8-metre span over Sungai Sarawak Kiri.
He said the road would serve as a supplementary route to the five-package Kuching Inner Ring Road, helping disperse traffic converging from Stephen Yong Road, Batu Kawa and Matang.
The project, awarded to Toyugi Builders Sdn Bhd at a contract sum of RM207.88 million, began works on February 11 and is scheduled for completion by February 10, 2029.
Aidel said the alignment mostly lies within greenfield land where acquisition had already been completed, easing the contractor’s progress.
“It’s quite a straightforward job for the contractor to proceed,” he said, adding that he was optimistic the contractor and consultant team could complete the project even earlier than scheduled.
He added that the road would eventually connect to Batu Kitang and onward to Bau, forming part of the proposed Kuching–Bau Highway earmarked as Package 2 under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
