KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — The mechanism and implementation of the whole second phase of the Pan Borneo Highway is undergoing a technical study that will be completed soon along with the Finance Ministry and the Sabah and Sarawak state governments, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Works Minister Baru Bian said the Sarawak section of the highway, now under construction, would have a major impact on the state and the people including in terms of socio-economic development and, as such, a thorough study was necessary.

"The first phase of the project now under construction was from Teluk Melano to Miri, an estimated distance of 786 kilometres, in 11 packages.

"The second phase, from Limbang to Lawas, was under a study in terms of finance,” he said when replying to Datuk Fadillah Yusof (PBB-Petra Jaya) who had wanted to know the status of the second phase of the project in Sarawak.

Baru also said that the highway project in Sabah also involved the upgrading of existing roads to four lanes over 706 kilometres that covered the implementation under the first phase in 35 packages.

He said the 12 packages under construction would continue to be implemented while the remaining 23 packages were still in various stages of implementation. — Bernama