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New road from Petra Jaya to Kota Samarahan soon

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Masing (second right) being briefed by his ministry's staff while Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Datuk Snowdan Lawan (right) and others looks on. Photo: MOHD ALIF NONI

The state government will build an alternative road bypassing Kuching Central Business District from Petra Jaya to Kota Samarahan soon.

The road includes a new bridge which will be constructed over Sungai Sarawak in the vicinity of Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) and upstream of Senari Port.

Deputy Chief Minister and Infrastructure Development and Transportation Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing revealed this yesterday.

He added, “A proposal will be submitted to the state government to engage a local traffic management specialist consultant to carry out a traffic study on Greater Kuching first and then Kapit town before the town is linked to the rest of state by October next year.

“There is a need for a traffic management division headed by experts in managing our traffic flows in my ministry.”

Commenting on the traffic congestion in Kuching City, Masing said it was getting worse by the day.

“The traffic gridlock is everywhere during the peak hours.”

Masing (second right) being briefed by his ministry’s staff while Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Datuk Snowdan Lawan (right) and others looks on. Photo: MOHD ALIF NONI

On the traffic congestion along the Kuching-Kota Samarahan Expressway, he revealed his ministry had completed a traffic study on the five roundabouts there.

Masing added traffic lights would be erected at all the     roundabouts and that the projects would commence by end of this year.

He pointed out that traffic congestions were happening not only in Kuching and Miri cities but also in rural towns of the state.

“Even a town like Kapit, which is not connected by road to the rest of Sarawak yet does not escape the woes of traffic congestion,” he said.

Masing attributed the traffic congestions to Sarawak’s economic success.

The state, he pointed out, was a “victim” of its own economic success. Excess money was being spent on the purchase of vehicles and this had led to an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads.

“Last year alone itself, the state has 68,000 registered new vehicles with 22,000 newly registered drivers in the state and the consequence from such an increase in the number of vehicles is traffic congestion,” said Masing.

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