(From left) Uggah, Gerawat, Ismawi, Penguang, Dennis and others gesture thumbs-up while posing during a photo-call, taken after groundbreaking ceremony.





MARUDI (April 14): The state government has allocated more than RM80 million for the implementation of 50 bridges in the Mulu and Telang Usan state constituencie.

According to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, these works are commissioned under the Rural Bridge Transformation Programme.

“In Telang Usan alone, 28 bridge projects are being implemented, meant to replace the damaged ones made of logs.

“Of the total, three bridges are still under construction, 16 are undergoing repairs, one is at the design stage, and three are in the tender process.

“Five bridges have already been completed.

“All these involve total allocation of RM36.14 million,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for Phase 1-Package 2 Miri-Marudi-Mulu-Long Panai-Long Lama Road (MMMLL) KM0 prject site near Rumah Stephen Kalong here on Monday.

Uggah, also the state Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, said the Mulu constituency had four bridges are currently under construction, another four undergoing repair works, and seven still in the project tender stage.

“Seven bridges have been completed, bringing the total number of bridge projects in Mulu to 22, with a total allocation of RM44.33 million.

“There are several bridges that had collapsed, and an additional RM26 million had been spent to construct eight replacement bridges,” he added.

Uggah expressed hope that all the works carried out by the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak could reach completion by November this year, ahead of the monsoon season.

Uggah (centre) receives a memento from Ismawi, as (from left) Dennis, Penguang, Gerawat, Chiew and Galong look on.

“This is important to ensure that the people would not face difficulties.”

He also described the state government’s decision to take over former logging roads, including those in the Baram area, and upgrade them into state roads as a major move, set to be a game-changer for the rural communities.

According to him, out of more than 5,900km of logging roads in Sarawak, about 2,400km are located in Baram.

On the Phase 1-Package 2 MMMLL project, Uggah said the works would involve the construction of a new 6.25km road linking the Poyut Junction and Sungai Selejau here.

“It will be of JKR’s R3 standard.”

Uggah expressed hope that the works could reach completion within the stipulated 48 months, adding: “Earlier completion within 40 months would be even better.”

Phase 1-Package 2 forms part of the main MMMLL project chain, which carries an overall cost of RM3.8 billion.

The project comprises a main alignment spanning 142km, feeder roads connecting villages covering 30.5km, as well as 11 major bridges and 11 minor bridges.

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Minister in Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala; Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil; Telang Usan assemblyman Datuk Dennis Ngau; Regional Corridor Development Authority chief executive officer Datu Ismawi Ismuni; state Ministry for Infrastructure and Port Development permanent secretary Datu Chiew Chee Yau; and Miri Resident Galong Luang.