GEORGE TOWN, Nov 8 — The Jalan Batu Ferringhi road that caved in yesterday after heavy rains is under the jurisdiction of the federal government, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.
The winding road leading to the island’s beach resorts, along with Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah, Teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau, are all federal roads under Putrajaya’s jurisdiction, he insisted.
As such, he asserted that the Public Works Department (PWD), which is under the federal government’s purview, is obliged to carry out works to strengthen the ground around these roads and also protect the hill slopes next to them.
“We can always request for them to strengthen these roads but it is entirely up to the PWD to get allocation from the federal government for these projects,” he said in a press conference at his office today.
He was responding to questions on whether the state will work with PWD to strengthen the roads such as Jalan Batu Ferringhi to prevent incidents like the road collapse yesterday.
A portion of the road collapsed yesterday morning following heavy rains the night before.
The state public works and utilities committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said no one was injured in the incident and since the collapse, the road has been closed to traffic for safety reasons.
“The PWD’s contractors are now studying the road condition and working out proposals on repair works for the road,” he said.
He said they hope to get a full report on the remedial works for the road in a week’s time.
“The road is now open at two-hour intervals in the morning, afternoon, evening and night only for motorcyclists,” he said.
Other vehicles are still not allowed to use the road as they are still studying its stability.
He said they will review the opening times of the road for motorcyclists and make an announcement once it is safe to be opened to all traffic.
