Works Ministry to examine risks on East-West Highway - Fadillah

TUMPAT: The Works Ministry will examine any risks, including the possibility of a cliff or slope collapse, related to road conditions on the East-West Highway from Gerik (Perak) to Jeli (Kelantan).

Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this was because the highway had become a trending issue on social media, with claims that it posed a high risk to road users, including possibly causing fatal accidents.

As such, he and the top management will check and monitor the area today to see what actions can be taken for road improvements and to investigate whether the claims are valid.

"If true, we will look into the actions that can be taken to improve the situation for the comfort and safety of highway users," he told reporters after inspecting at the Wakaf Baru Bridge project site in conjunction with the East Zone FTRoadpedia 3.0 Tour programme today.

Elaborating, Fadillah said the ministry also faced similar challenges involving roads in Lojing due to the terrain in the area which is at risk of cliff and slope collapse.

In a separate development, Fadillah said the ministry would also visit Thailand this month to view the plan for the construction of the Goodwill Bridge along the Malaysia-Thailand border at Bukit Bunga in Jeli.

"At the Malaysian government level, we are planning to build the bridge in Rantau Panjang, but the Thai government wants to build it in Tak Bai.

"So, I will go to Thailand this month to discuss the construction of the bridge between the two countries in a bid to strengthen our bilateral ties further," he added.

-- BERNAMA