A state trunk road with dual carriageway would be ideal but costly.
Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin said the amount allocated by the Federal Government so far was not enough to redevelop the 1,077km road.
“It costs an estimated RM16bil to upgrade the entire road, and in the last 15 years the Government has allocated RM1.5bil to upgrade it,” he said in his winding-up speech.
“My ministry will continue to seek more money for the road,” he said.
Five stretches — 137km or 12.7% of the total length — have been turned into dual carriageways.
These are Kuching-Serian (52km), Sibu-Julau (29km), Bintulu-Bintulu Airport (23km), Miri-Miri Airport (9km) and Miri-Lutong-Kuala Baram (24km).
A project to upgrade the stretch from Sematan to Merapok is estimated to cost RM9.369 bil. It will be implemented in three phases.
“Sarawak is a large state with a sparse population of 2.5 million. As our population density is only about 20 persons per sq km, road construction should not be based on economic returns and traffic volume alone but rather on social responsibilities,” said Manyin.
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