PAPAR: The tender for the upgrading of Jalan Lok Kawi will be opened by January 2025 to address the traffic congestion in the area, said Papar Member of Parliament Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living said that the open tender is being advertised to companies interested in upgrading the existing road from a two-lane to a four-lane dual carriageway.
“I have proposed and appealed to the Ministry of Works (KKR) earlier to finalise the design (for the road construction) as soon as possible. If the tender process could be in December, let it be so.
“However, their (KKR) commitment is by January at the latest, and it will take time for the tender evaluation. So, we hope that by April or May, the contractor will be able to start work,“ he told reporters after conducting an inspection of Jalan Sabindo and a briefing with KKR at Kampung Suangon today.
In May, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his speech at the Program Semarak Perpaduan Rakyat in Papar, announced the Jalan Lok Kawi upgrading project from the Sabindo roundabout to Sungai Kinarut Papar (RM67 million) and the Pengalat-Papar Bypass Road Project (RM538 million).
Armizan said the projects are expected to be completed within three years, and he hopes that district officers will assist the Ministry of Works (KKR) and other relevant agencies to ensure the construction process proceeds smoothly, including negotiations with the local villagers affected by the roadworks.
He added that the upgrading of the road is an urgent necessity, as a 2021 KKR study found that an estimated 27,000 vehicles use the route from Papar to the city centre each day.
“The stretch (for the tender that has been advertised) is about 1.3 kilometres, from the Sabindo roundabout to the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kinarut,“ he said, adding that the RM67 million cost also includes the construction of a pedestrian bridge, utilities, and land acquisition.
Meanwhile, the Pengalat-Papar Bypass Road project is currently undergoing consultant evaluation, which will be completed this month, before moving on to the next phase, as it requires finding an alternative solution to be implemented within the allocated budget.
He noted the need to build a new bridge to ease the movement of people around Papar and reduce traffic congestion.
“This second project involves two components: a new alignment and the upgrading of the existing road,“ he said.
