KUCHING: The stretch along Sungai Kua Bridge-Sungai Arip Bridge is expected to see another 32km of first carriageway paved up to binder course level and opened to traffic by end of this year.
In a press statement from Leburaya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd, it stated that this is on top of the 12km of first carriageway, also paved up to binder course level, which has already been opened to traffic two months ago in August.
“Works are currently on-going to pave these stretches so that we can open this carriageway by end of this year.
“Once this first carriageway is done up to binder course level, we can move on to upgrade the second carriageway next to it while we divert the road users to the first carriageway,” said LBU project manager Baharuddin Samsudin.
Construction of Sungai Kua Bridge-Sungai Arip Bridge (Works Package 08), undertaken by Musyati Mudajaya JV Sdn Bhd, involves the upgrading of 63.678km of existing federal trunk road into a four lanes dual carriageway.
It is divided into two sections namely, Selangau (26.080km) from Sungai Kua to Sungai Buluh and Balingian (37.598km) from Sungai Buluh to Sungai Arip.
Meanwhile, the project team is currently undertaking reinforced earth wall work on Selangau Interchange.
“Construction on its culverts and pile embankment is also on-going and we expect to launch the beam by next week,” said Baharuddin.
The only interchange along the stretch, Selangau Interchange will smooth traffic for road users who travel from Mukah to Sibu and Bintulu and vice versa once it is completed.
This interchange also functions as an integration direction for the combination of road users either from Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu that will connect them through a new road stretch without disturbing the existing Selangau bazaar.
