MIRI: The Sarawak Government has allocated RM8 million this year to resurface and maintain a 2.4-kilometre stretch of the Permyjaya-Kuala Baram Bypass affected by peat soil settlement.
Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, said the Public Works Department (PWD) project would focus on restoring both the road surface and structure.
The works include milling the existing road surface, Cold In-Place Recycling (CIPR) and resurfacing.
“This project is important to ensure safer and more comfortable journeys for road users, particularly as the road was built on peat soil which is prone to settlement,” he said during a visit to the project site here today.
Lee, who is also Senadin assemblyman, said the approximately 12-kilometre Permyjaya road frequently developed uneven and undulating surfaces due to ground movement.
He hoped the federal government would provide continuous maintenance funding as the route is a federal road and requires regular upkeep due to the peat soil conditions.
On a separate matter, Lee urged the Federal Works Ministry to expedite the installation of traffic lights at the Taman Milea junction in Eastwood, which he said was approved about three years ago.
He said the traffic lights were increasingly needed due to growing traffic volume and the distance between the existing signalised junction and U-turn facility.
Lee also raised congestion at the Sungai Tujoh Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex, particularly the shortage of immigration and customs personnel.
He said the Sarawak Government had allocated RM4 million to upgrade facilities at the complex, including additional lanes and inspection counters.
However, he said the additional facilities must be matched with sufficient personnel to ensure all counters could operate effectively.
He also hoped the federal government would expedite the deployment of additional officers to help ease congestion at the Miri-Brunei border crossing.
