The total construction cost of the Pan Borneo Highway’s Sarawak portion is expected to be reduced from RM16.49 billion by around 4.0 percent to RM15.83 billion, reported The Star.
According to its project delivery partner (PDP), Lebuhraya Borneo Utara, the cost reduction of about RM660 million was made possible thanks to optimisation measures that doesn’t compromise work quality.
The entity told this to Works Minister Baru Bian, during a site inspection of Sarawak’s largest infrastructure project last week, revealed a source.
Baru led a 100-member group consisting of top officials from his agency as well as the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) and Sarawak’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation (MIDT).
They visited all 11 work packages under Phase 1 of the Sarawak portion, which is now 35 percent completed.
Measuring 786km, the first phase runs from Miri in northern Sarawak to the fishing village of Telok Melano in the southern part of the state. It also involves the construction of 17 interchanges, 57 pedestrian bridges, 114 river-crossing bridges and 595 bus shelters.
However, Putrajaya has not yet decided on the implementation of the project’s second phase which will connect Sarawak with Sabah via Limbang Division.
Under Phase I, work package one or the 32.77km portion linking Telok Melano with Sematan is 85 percent complete. It is expected to be the first to be opened to motorists by early-2019.
Featuring six bridges, the RM580 million single-lane dual carriageway was added to the Pan Borneo Highway at the behest of former Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who had passed away.
Work package one is being built by Miri-based Samling Resources, which is also the main contractor for a second work package spanning 95.4km. It consists of a road linking Sematan to Sungai Moyan and the Kuching-Serian roundabout.
Touted as the longest among the 11 work packages, the four-lane carriageway will also include six interchanges and 22 bridges.
Image sourced from The Star Online
This article was edited by the editorial team of PropertyGuru. To contact them about this or other stories email editorialteam@propertyguru.com.my
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