RM3.4 bln needed to repair federal roads in Peninsula - Fadillah

GERIK: The Works Ministry needs an allocation of RM3.4 billion to repair the sick or damaged federal roads throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this was for resurfacing or putting another layer or building new roads, with the works expected to be completed by 2023.

"We are aware that a lot of priorities have to be considered before the allocation is given, which in some cases is insufficient like the RM68 million required to repair the federal road, FT004 (East-West Highway).

"We are not blaming the Ministry of Finance but that is the challenge we are facing. However, we will find ways to improve the situation in the short and long terms.

"My ministry has identified the roads, not just in Perak but throughout Peninsular Malaysia that need to be repaired after five or seven years as the original layer could no longer cope with the traffic volume. Imagine the condition of the roads if these were built 40 years ago like in Gerik."

He said this at a news conference today after a briefing on the FT004, here, about 130 kilometres from Ipoh, with Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad also present.

Fadillah said that usually, among the preliminary or short-term measures taken by his ministry was to resurface the road before building another layer or a new road at the identified damaged stretches of the federal roads.

On his one-hour visit to the location here with Saarani, he said the patching and resurfacing work at the damaged stretch of road would be done fast this Saturday.

The Perak stretch of the FT004 route is 114.66 kilometres from Section 83.74 at the Kedah border and ends at Section 198.40 in Jeli at the Kelantan border.

Along the stretch, the road surface and streetlights were found to be damaged, the painted road lines fading and the drains also damaged, thus leaving stagnant water.

-- BERNAMA