JOHOR BARU, Sept 10 ― The Johor government will request for federal government allocation to repair and upgrade six culvert outlets at the Causeway here, in an effort to improve the water flow of the Johor Straits.
Johor Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri said that earlier checks revealed that only two out of the six culverts were in working condition.
“The remaining four culverts are covered by a foreign worker complex,” said Mohd Solihan.
However, Mohd Solihan said the water flow situation on both sides of the Straits has not reached a critical level.
He said the water quality on both sides of the Causeway remains good, but the need for functioning culverts is important to better channel the seawater and avoid pollution in the area.
“This also may have a positive impact on the recent issue involving dead fish found ashore along Lido Beach,” said Mohd Solihan, adding that it was still not confirmed on the actual cause of the incident.
Mohd Solihan said this after attending the Construction Industry Development Board’s (CIDB) southern region graduation ceremony held at the Persada International Convention Centre here today.
The Tenang assemblyman added the Public Works Department would be conducting a study on the cost of repairing and upgrading the culverts at the Causeway.
“We are in midst of waiting for the report before looking through it and submitting it to the federal government for the estimated costs,” he said.
Johor Causeway is a 1.56km land route across the Johor Straits that links Johor Baru in southern Malaysia to Woodlands in Singapore.
It was officially opened during the British colonial era in 1924, and is today considered among the busiest land border crossings in the world with more than 350,000 people using it daily.
Besides serving as a road and rail link, it is also used to provide water into Singapore.
