KUCHING, Aug 9 — Works Minister Baru Bian today reassured the public that the construction of the Sarawak’s portion of the Pan Borneo Highway will not be delayed once his ministry takes control from project delivery partner Lebuhraya Borneo Utara (LBU).
He said if there are any delays, the contributions will always be on the contractors themselves.
“We make it very clear that the work packages should proceed [after the takeover]. There should not be any delay. If there is any delay, then the contractors themselves should be blamed.
“Whatever it is, we would be informed of problems of any disruption along the construction alignment,” he told reporters.
He said if there is any problem of disruption, then it should be submitted to his ministry immediately for the officers to attend to.
Baru said the final decision will be made at the end of this month on whether the Works Ministry should take over the highway project from LBU.
He said if the takeover goes through, the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) will assume supervision of the highway from LBU.
Baru said similarly, his ministry will also take over the Sabah’s stretch of Pan Borneo Highway project from PDP.
Asked for the rationale behind his ministry’s decision to take over the highway project from LBU, he said its aim is to cut cost.
“It is all about cutting cost. Not about the problem in the construction. By taking over, it will reduce the cost,” he said.
He said the Finance Ministry will determine how much be reduced from the total cost of the highway.
The original cost of the Sarawak’s stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway is about RM16.5 billion.
The whole of phase one of the highway project, covering about 786km, from Telok Melano in the southern tip of Sarawak to Miri in the northern rigion, is scheduled to be completed by 2021.
A total of 114 bridges across rivers, 57 pedestrian bridges, 17 interchanges and 595 bus shelters will be built along the highway.
