BINTULU: The dual-carriageway road project linking Jepak to Bintulu Airport is progressing ahead of schedule and may be completed earlier than planned.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo said the project, originally scheduled for completion in October 2027, is showing encouraging progress.
He said the current rate of work and the relatively short 4.1km alignment indicate that the contractor has the capacity to complete the project ahead of schedule.
“Once completed, the travel distance from Bintulu town centre to the airport will be reduced to less than eight kilometres compared to about 25 kilometres previously.
“This will allow the journey to take only around 10 minutes compared to almost 30 minutes at present,” he told reporters during a working visit to the site today (Apr 13).
Aidel said land acquisition issues, which had previously hampered progress, have now been resolved through cooperation between local elected representatives, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Land and Survey Department.
“With no more land issues, the contractor can now access the site more smoothly and work is progressing according to schedule,” he said.
On another project, he said the Bintulu Integrated Administration Centre (IAC) is now nearing physical completion.
He added that the target completion is by the end of June, depending on the delivery of construction materials to the site.
“After physical completion, government agencies will need some time to make preparations before moving into the new premises.
“The Bintulu IAC will be one of the iconic buildings in the Jepak area and will further strengthen the government delivery system,” he added.
He noted that both the dual-carriageway road and the IAC are key projects expected to have a significant impact on Jepak and the wider Bintulu area.
