Land acquisition, relocation of utilities delay Sabah Pan Borneo Highway

 

Deputy works minister Ahmad Maslan (left) inspecting the progress of work on the Pan Borneo Highway project in Telipok, Kota Kinabalu, today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The construction of Phase 1A of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway is facing delays due to land acquisition issues, says deputy works minister Ahmad Maslan.

He said extensive time was also required for relocation of utilities along the project alignment, Bernama reported.

He said the landowners’ refusal to cooperate, with some taking the matter to court, had further delayed the project, necessitating an extension of time to the contractors.

Ahmad hoped such issues can be prevented from happening in the implementation of Phase 1B of the highway.

The contractors had been awarded the Letter of Acceptance for this section just two days ago, he said during an inspection of Package 8 of the highway project at Jalan Sepanggar-Berungis, near Kota Kinabaluu, today.

Ahmad suggested that new contractors given the Letter of Acceptance for Phase 1B be given a briefing to highlight the challenges faced during Phase 1A to prevent similar issues in the future.

He said progress at the 15 work packages under Phase 1A, covering 283km, stood at 79% as of August.

Four work packages have been completed and are now open to road users. The remaining packages are at various stages of construction. These are expected to be finished in phases by the first quarter of 2026. - FMT