Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak being continually upgraded - Ministry

The Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak is being continually upgraded especially in terms of technical capacity building, says the Ministry of Works.

The ministry said these initiatives would ensure the smooth implementation of the project, which could catalyse socio-economic and industrial development as well as draw investments along the highway's entire stretch.

"As of June 2020, phase one of the Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak project is 49 per cent completed," it said in an oral reply to a question from Wong Ling Biu (PH-Sarikei) on the status of the project and the involvement of the Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD).

The ministry said the Sarawak portion of the Pan Borneo Highway is being implemented using the conventional method with the cooperation of the state PWD following the termination of the project delivery partner (PDP) agreement.

Meanwhile, the ministry said the Taiping-Banting sector of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) is expected to open by end-2021, with the section from the Assam Jawa and Tanjung Karang interchanges expected to open in mid-June 2024.

As of June 15, 2020, the WCE is 66.28 per cent completed, it said in reply to a question from Datuk Wira Mohd Annuar Mohd Tahir (Amanah-Temerloh) on the project's status.

The ministry said the Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan stretch of the WCE was opened on May 31, 2019, followed by the opening of two sections on Sept 23, 2019 -- between Kampung Lekir and Changkat Cermin, and between Changkat Cermin and Beruas.

These were followed by the opening on Dec 10, 2019 of the stretch between Bandar Bukit Raja South and Bandar Bukit Raja North, it added.

-- BERNAMA