KUCHING: Three Rest and Recreation (R&R) areas and five lay-bys will be built along the Pan Borneo Highway, said Minister of Works Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
According to a report from the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS), he said the the R&R areas would be built in Jelukong, Lubok Antu; Sungai Basai in Selangau and Lambir in Miri while the lay-bys would be built in Lundu; Roban, Saratok; Julau; Semanok, Bintulu and Suai, Niah.
“Apart from providing basic facilities for road users to rest and pray, local entrepreneurs can generate income by operating restaurants and guest markets at the R&R,” he said in his Ministerial winding-up speech at the current Parliament session on Wednesday.
Responding to Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman) query on projects implemented by the Ministry aside from the Pan Borneo Highway project, he said there were several projects currently in the planning stage to improve the road connectivity to Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Among them, he said, was Transborneo, which would improve the existing Federal road in Miri, Limbang and Lawas through Brunei and the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) which would connect Miri, Limbang and Lawas and to Ba’ Kelalan.
Nanta added that the proposed construction of the road to the border between Sarawak and Kalimantan was also taken into account in the Road Network Development Review (HNDP) to identify the best alignment for further research with central agencies.
“The ministry has raised project proposals on the Malaysian-Indonesian border, namely, the preliminary work and design for the Road Construction Project from Kalabakan to the Malaysia-Indonesia Border (Simanggaris) and the Proposal to Upgrade FR21 Serian-Tebedu-Indonesian Border Road on Rolling Plan 3 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for the consideration of the Central Agency.
“Approval for these proposed projects will be announced after the presentation of the budget later based on the government’s priorities and financial position,” he said.
