He said the highway would be linked to other major roads in the northern part of Sarawak, including the Pan Borneo Highway and the state coastal highway.
This would not only provide better connectivity but also stimulate the socio-economic growth of the people along the way.
“This project was actually part of the second phase of the Pan Borneo Highway project for Sarawak but was cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan government.”
The state government is continuing this project and has renamed it the Northern Coastal Highway, he told reporters after officiating the closing of the Value Assessment Lab For The Northern Coastal Highway here.
According to him, the project would be implemented by Sarawak’s two regional agencies, namely the Regional Corridor Development Authority and Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA).
He said the highway would be of Public Works Department R5 standard with the construction estimated to take 48 months and the total cost still being assessed.
In his speech earlier, Awang Tengah said the Northern Coastal Highway project is very important as it will provide transportation and logistics.
It is strategically located to connect Sabah, Brunei and Indonesia. This will provide opportunity for economic prosperity and benefits to the people in the region.
He said it augured well with Indonesia’s plan to relocate its capital to Kalimantan as well as to spur connectivity in Limbang district, which holds the potential of becoming a new development area for oil and gas activities.
Apart from this coastal highway, Awang Tengah said some adjustments would be made on the proposed Sarawak link road that would by-pass Brunei to shorten the length of the road connecting Miri city, Mulu national park, Limbang, Lawas, as well as the two highlands in Ba’kelalan and Bario.
He said NRDA is also undertaking 165 projects worth RM1.5 billion allocated by the state government to build up infrastructure in the region.
One of them would be a new airport in Lawas, Sarawak’s northern most district, which would boost connectivity in the region.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram