Northern Coastal Highway to boost Sarawak connectivity by 2030
The initiative, covering Lawas and Limbang, aims to integrate regions currently separated by Brunei Darussalam.
Nanta highlighted the project's significance during a technical meeting in Limbang, involving teams from the Sarawak and Federal Public Works Departments (JKR), the Ministry of Works, and RECODA.
'This reflects strong collaboration between the Federal and Sarawak state governments,' he said.
The NCH will provide a domestic route linking Miri, Limbang, and Lawas without passing through Brunei, reducing reliance on the Miri–Temburong–Limbang route, which currently requires four immigration checks.
'This will enhance mobility, ease daily life, and unlock economic opportunities for rural communities,' Nanta added.
Key components include an 87.96 km new road, 10.16 km of access roads, 27 main structures (including 13 bridges), 44 bus stops, and four Rest & Service Areas.
Five sections under Phase 1 are underway, with completion expected by 2030.
Nanta emphasized the broader impact: 'This project supports the economy, tourism, logistics, and improves well-being.'
The NCH will also complement the Pan Borneo Highway, linking Sarawak's central and southern regions with Brunei and Sabah via the Merapok border. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Borneo Post
Ahmad Maslan upset over poor maintenance of Jalan Telupid-Sandakan
Ahmad Maslan (left) briefed on the Marwilla 2 jetty project by deputy commander of Naval Region 2, First Admiral Ivan Mario Andrew (right) in Sandakan today.-Bernama photo SANDAKAN (Aug 4): Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan today expressed dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance of the road from Telupid to Sandakan, saying it had caused great inconvenience to the people. He said that although the road formed part of the Pan Borneo Highway project, the contractor was still responsible for its maintenance, as stipulated in the contract. 'Under the contract, they (the contractor) are required to maintain the road in areas where the highway is under construction and ensure it remains in good condition, not in its current poor state. 'Yesterday evening, I travelled along the road in Work Package 29 from Moynod to Sapi Nangoh. I was disappointed and upset to see its condition. It's causing inconvenience to the people. This project should make life easier for the people, not cause them distress,' he said. He said this to reporters after inspecting the progress of the Naval Region 2 Headquarters (MAWILLA 2) jetty construction project here today. Ahmad also shared that during his trip to Sandakan on Monday, his bodyguards had recorded four videos showing the damaged road conditions, which were later forwarded to the Works Ministry's top management. He said three stretches along the route had drawn public complaints due to poor maintenance, namely, Jalan Sandakan Batu 32-Moynod (WP28), Jalan Moynod-Sapi Nangoh (WP29), and Jalan Sapi Nangoh-Sungai Baoto (WP30). Ahmad said he had instructed the Public Works Department to conduct regular site visits to monitor the progress of the Pan Borneo Sabah Highway Phase 1A project and observe the difficulties faced by road users, with verbal or written warnings to be issued to the contractors involved when necessary. He stressed that the Works Ministry could appoint a third party to carry out maintenance on damaged roads caused by the construction of the Pan Borneo Sabah Highway Phase 1A if the contractor failed to do so, with the cost to be deducted from the contract value. 'For example, if the cost of repairs is RM5 million and the main contractor was awarded a RM300 million contract, the contractor would only receive RM295 million, while RM5 million would be paid to the third party,' he said. Ahmad added that the contract contained clauses on scheduled maintenance, protection of existing infrastructure, temporary diversions, traffic signage and safety measures. – Bernama
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Daily Express
Ahmad Maslan upset over poor maintenance of Telupid-Sandakan road
Published on: Monday, August 04, 2025 Published on: Mon, Aug 04, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: SANDAKAN: Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan ( pic ) on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance of the road from Telupid to Sandakan, saying it had caused great inconvenience to the people. He said that although the road formed part of the Pan Borneo Highway project, the contractor was still responsible for its maintenance, as stipulated in the contract. 'Under the contract, they (the contractor) are required to maintain the road in areas where the highway is under construction and ensure it remains in good condition, not in its current poor state. 'Yesterday evening, I travelled along the road in Work Package 29 from Moynod to Sapi Nangoh. I was disappointed and upset to see its condition. It's causing inconvenience to the people. This project should make life easier for the people, not cause them distress,' he said. He said this to reporters after inspecting the progress of the Naval Region 2 Headquarters (MAWILLA 2) jetty construction project here today. Ahmad also shared that during his trip to Sandakan yesterday, his bodyguards had recorded four videos showing the damaged road conditions, which were later forwarded to the Works Ministry's top management. He said three stretches along the route had drawn public complaints due to poor maintenance, namely, Jalan Sandakan Batu 32-Moynod (WP28), Jalan Moynod-Sapi Nangoh (WP29), and Jalan Sapi Nangoh-Sungai Baoto (WP30). Ahmad said he had instructed the Public Works Department to conduct regular site visits to monitor the progress of the Pan Borneo Sabah Highway Phase 1A project and observe the difficulties faced by road users, with verbal or written warnings to be issued to the contractors involved when necessary. He stressed that the Works Ministry could appoint a third party to carry out maintenance on damaged roads caused by the construction of the Pan Borneo Sabah Highway Phase 1A if the contractor failed to do so, with the cost to be deducted from the contract value. 'For example, if the cost of repairs is RM5 million and the main contractor was awarded a RM300 million contract, the contractor would only receive RM295 million, while RM5 million would be paid to the third party,' he said. Ahmad added that the contract contained clauses on scheduled maintenance, protection of existing infrastructure, temporary diversions, traffic signage and safety measures. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Works Ministry needs RM4 billion a year to maintain roads
KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry needs up to RM4 billion annually to fully carry out road maintenance across the country. However, its Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the ministry only receives about 30 per cent of that amount each year to repair federal roads, which fall under its jurisdiction. As a result, he acknowledged that the ministry faces challenges in ensuring all roads under its care are properly maintained. "We consistently submit funding requests to improve road maintenance. We do so earnestly because maintaining roads requires a budget of RM4 billion. "But usually, we only receive 30 per cent or even less of that amount as approved in the annual budget. "If possible, we hope this gap can be narrowed, as we really need more funds for this purpose," he said during the BH Podcast Borak Harini programme titled 'Salah jalan atau salah orang punca ramai mati di jalan' recently. He said this year's budget allocated RM10.35 billion to the ministry, a nine per cent increase from RM9.511 billion last year. Nanta added that the RM4 billion allocation is not only for road repairs but also for rebuilding aging infrastructure, as many road facilities are becoming increasingly worn out. In a related development, he said the ministry aims to improve highway facilities by focusing on the implementation of the barrierless toll collection system, known as the Multi-Lane Fast Flow (MLFF). He said that while it is difficult to specify a timeline for the MLFF rollout, the ministry is committed to implementing the system as soon as possible to ease highway traffic flow. "Currently, we're using various methods including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and cards, all of which are improvement measures. But ultimately, the ministry is in the process of transitioning to MLFF. "The government is identifying a company or agency that can manage MLFF. Since we plan to implement it, we're not prioritising major investments in other toll payment system upgrades that would require significant spending. "If we invest in upgrading another system now and then switch to MLFF in a year or two, that investment wouldn't be worthwhile. "So we're holding off a bit longer to move ahead with MLFF," he said when asked whether the ministry plans to improve the current RFID system. Previously, the Public Accounts Committee had said the ministry must ensure there are no financial implications for the government or users under the proposed MLFF system, which is expected to be finalised soon. Meanwhile, Nanta said abolishing highway tolls is not feasible under current economic conditions, as it would place a significant financial burden on the government due to high road maintenance costs and compensation to concessionaires. He said that eliminating tolls would require the government to allocate billions of ringgit for highway maintenance and compensation, funds that could be better used elsewhere. "Abolishing tolls is not a small matter because it would involve huge financial implications related to maintenance and payments to concession companies. Is that reasonable?" he said. On the MYJalan mobile application launched by the ministry in August 2023, Nanta said it has received 39,371 complaints to date. Of that number, only 11,959 complaints, or 30.38 per cent, involved federal roads under the ministry's jurisdiction.
