SADONG JAYA: The proposed construction of the Second Trunk Road (STR) project involving the stretch of road from the Batang Sadong Bridge up to Sebuyau is expected to commence soon.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Aidel Lariwoo said the project has been tendered and is in the process of being awarded to the selected contractor.
“Meanwhile, the STR section from Batang Samarahan Bridge to Batang Sadong, which spans about 21 kilometres (km), has also been open for tender.
“Therefore, with the commencement of these two road sections, once completed, they will further open up the area and, at the same time, have a positive impact on the locals in the surrounding areas,” he said.
He said this to reporters at the Hari Raya open house organised by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Sadong Jaya and Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (SABERKAS) Sadong Jaya branch at Warisan Sadong Jaya Hall here today (May 6).
Aidel, who is also the Sadong Jaya assemblyman, said the STR project from Batang Sadong Bridge to Sebuyau is important as it will connect Sebuyau to Linggi.
“Once completed, it will lead to the coastal roads that Sarawak is developing,” he said.
According to him, the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway project by the federal government does not connect the state’s coastal areas, and thus the construction of the STR by the Sarawak government is crucial because it will also connect the coastal areas to major areas in the state.
“In addition, the STR from Samarahan to Sadong Jaya will be constructed as a dual carriageway of Public Works Department (PWD) R5 standard, and definitely this will also be connected to the autonomous rapid transit (ART) route,” he said.
Overall, Aidel said the construction of the STR, which commenced in 2020 under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), is expected to be completed by 2025.
The STR was carried out to improve the network of connectivity throughout the state, and the new road will offer efficient inter-divisional traffic and improved road safety, complementing the development of the Coastal Road Network and the Pan Borneo Highway.
Once completed, the STR will reduce the travelling distance between Kuching and Sibu to only 225km, compared to 312km via the Coastal Road Network and 400km via the Pan Borneo Highway. The distance between Kuching and Betong will also be reduced to only 142km, compared to 246km via the Pan Borneo Highway.
The shorter distance to Betong will be achieved by leveraging the existing Coastal Road Network to Sebuyau, where the STR will link Samarahan to Betong via Lingga through B1 and B1A packages, connecting the existing Lingga-Sri Aman road (which will also be rehabilitated under the Second Trunk Road programme) to the new Batang Lupar Bridge No. 2 under Package B3 and the connecting road to Betong Interchange at Pan Borneo Highway under Package B4.
In addition, under the STR programme, the Sarawak government will construct and complete the Ulu Paku-Ulu Kota Link Road, approximately 12.2km long, and upgrade approximately 20km of existing Ulu Paku road as part of the STR alignment.
This will provide a shorter alternative route for settlements within the hinterland of the Ulu Paku region to Sri Aman-Sarikei, Betong Town, and other areas.
Also present were Aidel’s wife Dayang Ernie Awang Hashim, Batang Sadong Member of Parliament Rodiyah Sapiee, organiser of the Hari Raya open house Salem Benga, and Temenggong Check Bujang.
