The Telok Melano-Sematan (TMS) stretch of the 1,060 km of the Pan Borneo Highway, Sarawak is a legacy left by the late Chief Minister of Sarawak Tan Sri Adenan Satem, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

According to Fadillah, the original plan was to build the highway from Sematan to Miri only but upon Adenan's request when he was the chief minister, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak approved the Telok Melano-Sematan stretch package which cost the government an extra of RM580 million.

"So this is the legacy left by Tok Nan," he said at a press conference after visiting the project site here today.

However, he said it was only a-two lane single carriageway of JKR R5 standard road and when completed it would benefit 8,000 people living along the road.

Fadillah said after visiting the project site, he was happy with the work progress although it was a bit behind schedule.

"The progress of the work is 18 percent although it should be 21 percent as scheduled but this is normal due to unfavourable weather.

"I am confident the contractor could catch up and complete the project on schedule (Jan 6, 2019), he said.

Construction work on the 32.770 km road commenced on Oct 7 2015.

Fadiillah said compensation for the land, crops and properties totalling RM13.8 million had fully been paid to the land owners.

To a question, Fadillah said 70 percent of the contract work for eleven packages of the whole Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak was awarded to Sarawak-based companies, while another 30 percent are joint ventures with listed companies. -- Bernama