THE project to connect the road from Kampung Tanjung Bako to the Samarahan Industrial Estate (Extension) is expected to be completed on Feb 8, 2026.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh said in addition, the construction of a bridge across the Sarawak River to Sejingkat is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025.
The project is part of an initiative to mitigate the traffic jam issue between Kuching and Samarahan.
“The road and bridge projects are valued at RM472.7 million,” he said, adding that the connecting road from the Stutong area to Jalan Datuk Muhamad Musa in Samarahan is part of the Access Road Construction Project to the Southern Area of the Kuching International Airport (KIA) involving the construction of three concrete bridges costing RM266 million which are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025,” he added.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Hamzah Ibrahim (GPS-Stakan) today.
In the meantime, Len Talif said any application for development projects in the constituency must be first referred to the technical department.
“The agencies and department include Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Natural Resource and Environmental Board (NREB), Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) and local authorities for technical reviews purposes.
“For example, the DID will be consulted to obtain technical comments and reviews on the management of drainage and irrigation systems in the development area, in line with the Sarawak Urban Stormwater Management Guidelines (SUStoM) to address the flash flood issues.
“Meanwhile, a traffic impact assessment (TIA) is required if the application involves high-impact developments such as high-density housing, new town development, and large-scale mixed developments,” he said.
He said the provision of the TIA study is necessary to assess and determine the effects on local traffic caused by such development.
“TIA studies also help the government to make decisions and identify the need for measures to address traffic congestion and improve road user safety,” he added.
