Upgrade Lachau/Kara/Punggu Jinggau Road As Alternative Route To Pan Borneo Highway Stretch
KUCHING: The government has been urged to upgrade and expand Lachau/Kara/Punggu Jinggau Road to serve as a safer and more reliable alternative route to the Bukit Begunan stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway.
Bukit Begunan Assemblyman Datuk Mong Dagang said the road, which is narrow, winding and marked by sharp bends, poses safety risks to users and requires improvement to meet current traffic needs.
He added that the route is heavily utilised, serving 35 longhouses, four primary schools, and also accommodating heavy vehicles such as trucks and trailers transporting oil palm fruits.
“The Lachau/Kara/Punggu Jinggau Road could serve as an alternative road in the event untoward incidents happen along the Bukit Begunan stretch of Pan Borneo Highway,” he said when debating the Supply (2026) Bill, 2025 at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Friday.
Datuk Mong also proposed that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak (MIPD) prioritise the upgrading of the route to ensure better connectivity, road safety and reduced dependence on a single highway access.
On another matter, he called for urgent action to repair the flood mitigation bund and embankment stretching from Stirau Ai to Bakong and Sunga, noting that parts of the decades-old structure have collapsed due to strong river currents and tidal bores.
He said a recent king tide caused a section of the embankment to cave in, which resulted in flooding across Kampung Melayu Bakong and the Sunga area.
Sri Aman Development Agency (SADA) has approved flood mitigation and riverbank protection works for Stirau Ai to Bakong/Sunga as well as a mitigation bund for Kampung Antik, and Datuk Mong urged the implementing agencies to expedite these projects.
He also appealed for temporary maintenance of the existing bunds to prevent further incidents while waiting for the approved works to begin. -UKASnews
