KOTA PADAWAN: Four major flyover projects totalling RM200 million will be built within the Padawan Municipal Counci l (MPP) area. Its chairman, Ir Lo Khere Chiang disclosed that the four flyover projects which are part of the RM16 billion Pan Borneo Highway project are at 4th Mile, 6th Mile, 7th Mile, and 10thth Mile.
“The 7th Mile and the 10th Mile flyover projects are going to start in June this year and the other two flyover projects, one at 4th Mile and the other at 6th Mile, are going to start in August this year,” he told a press conference after MPP monthly meeting last Thursday. Lo said works on the flyover projects started long ago with the ground checking, soil conditions and drafting of the tenders.
“All these were already done long ago, so the works are going to start soon. It is good news for our people and the projects are expected to be completed by 2020,” he said. Lo said there are in fact six flyovers but these four are in MPP area. The other two are under Serian District Council.
“Altogether there are six flyover projects but the other two are not in my area. It so happen that all the four are in my Batu Kitang constituency,” he said. Lo said when all the six flyovers projects are completed, motorists would have a smooth ride all the way to Serian.
“I am very thankful to our Chief Minister, our state leaders and to our State Secretary for giving us the money apart from the RM16 billion and the RM200 million bridges which happened to be in my Batu Kitang constituency.
“Today, we have been given RM25 million MARRIS (Malaysian Roads Records Informat ion System) Fund. It is not just RM25 million but RM30 million which was promised to us but RM25 million has already been given. “So my f r i ends f rom the Opposition please do not say that there is no money because now I have money,” Lo said.
According to Lo, the challenge now is to make use of the money in the most efficient way. He said the RM200 million for the flyover projects is part of the RM16billion Pan Borneo Highway project and it is from the Federal government and the RM30 million MARRIS Fund is also from the Federal but disbursed by the state.
“Last year (2016), we only received RM17 million in MARRIS Fund and the year before (2015) it was only RM12 million. That is why I kept complaining that we had no money but this year we got RM30 million. “I want to thank our Chief Minister, our state leaders and our state secretary for the confidence they have in us and I am very sure that with my very capable officers in the council we will not fail our people and we will deliver projects under the RM30 million MARRIS fund ahead of schedule,” he said.
