New flyover in Kuching City

New flyover in Kuching City.... When they want to build flyover at Petrajaya???

KUCHING: Another flyover will be built in Kuching, this time at the Jalan Tun Jugah - Jalan Song junction in the direction of the airport to Kuching and vice versa.

Global Upline Sdn Bhd, who had recently completed the Kenyalang Interchange and the new Airport Road, will undertake the work as continuation of the overall road upgrading along Jalan Tun Jugah. The whole project is estimated to cost RM75 million.

Apart from the flyover, which will be a dual-carriageway, the existing 2.1km stretch of Jalan Tun Jugah between Kenyalang Interchange and Simpang Tiga will be widened to three- and four-lane carriageway in each direction.

Preparatory work will commence middle of this month, while work at the flyover will start immediately after the Rulers Conference in Kuching at the end of July.

Global Upline advisor Tan Sri Ting Pek Khing said the project will take six to eight months to complete.

“(During the construction period) motorists are advised to avoid using Jalan Tun Jugah-Jalan Song intersection, especially during rush hours, otherwise there will be traffic jam.

“Just give us six months, then the cars can (use the) fly over,” he told reporters yesterday, after briefing Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on the project at Four Points by Sheraton hotel.

Taib, in his brief comments, said he was confident that Global Upline could complete the project in the soonest time possible. He also said the project, once completed, would improve the flow of traffic there.

According to a statement released by Global Upline, Jalan Tun Jugah is the main gateway to Kuching city as it formed part of the Sarawak first trunk road linking the city with other major towns in the state, as well as the gateway to the ‘outside world’ as it is the main access road to the Kuching International Airport (KIA).

Despite the upgrading of Jalan Tun Jugah-Jalan Song junction from the old roundabout into a signalised junction some years ago, it was never able to cope with the traffic volumes as it still experienced long delays in all the four directions during rush hours, it added.

“With the recent completion of Kenyalang Interchange, it becomes very apparent that the section of Jalan Tun Jugah between that Interchange and Jalan Upland is grossly under capacity, especially at its signalised junction with Jalan Song, with traffic jam the norm even during non-rush hours.

“During the morning and rush hours, delays of up to 20 minutes in all four lanes are common. It is obvious that traffic capacity at the junction is incompatible with other sections of the road and needs urgent improvement,” it said.

Although the contract period for the project is 12 months, Global Upline said it would endeavour to complete work in shortest time possible and to minimise any obstruction during the construction period.

On another development, Ting said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be in Kuching to declare open the KIA runway and official opening of Four Points by Sheraton hotel next Wednesday (June 17).

Both projects were undertaken by Global Upline.