KUCHING: The long-awaited street lighting project along Jalan Puncak Borneo is making steady progress, with key installation works already completed and further developments currently underway.
Puncak Borneo Member of Parliament, Datuk Willie Mongin, said the installation of street light poles has been fully completed, marking a significant milestone in the project.
The focus has now shifted to excavation works to lay underground cables that will power the lighting system.
“Once the excavation is done, the contractor will proceed to cement the verge where the cables are planted.
“After that, the system will be commissioned,” he said at a press conference on the Brarak and Bipajak Gawai Bisegu at his Service Centre at Jalan Puncak Borneo here on Saturday.
He added that the target is to have the street lights fully operational before the upcoming Gawai celebration, bringing improved visibility and safety to road users in the area.
The project is being implemented in phases.
The first phase, covering the stretch from 10th Mile to the junction leading to the Sarawak Prison Department at Mile 14, is funded by the federal government through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (KPKT).
Phase two, which extends from the junction to Kampung Garung, is funded by the Sarawak Government through the Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA).
Willie said they are also planning to extend the lighting project further from Kampung Garung to Kampung Annah Rais.
Addressing public concerns over why the installed poles have yet to be lit, Willie acknowledged the delays, citing weather conditions and heavy traffic as contributing factors.
He explained that technical challenges also arise at multiple junctions along the route, where conventional excavation cannot be carried out. Instead, contractors must employ underground or horizontal directional drilling methods, which require more time.
“We understand the public’s concerns, and we ask for patience as the contractor work to complete this project safely and efficiently,” he said.
