RM1.8 billion allocated for federal roads maintenance this year

(Image source: Google)

Local newswire Bernama reports that the Works Ministry has allocated up to RM1.8 billion towards federal road maintenance. According to Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, RM150 million from said amount was for maintenance works for Pahang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan states.

The minister went on to detail that RM66.08 million went into road maintenance in the state of Pahang, whereas Negeri Sembilan and Johor saw an expenditure of RM23.63 million and RM60.9 million respectively. “These maintenance works are important to keep those roads in good condition,” Fadillah said to reporters.

In Johor, the proposals for road upgrading works on federal road FT050, which stretches from Ayer Hitam to Kluang, specifically from Section 33.8 until the Kluang Stadium junction in Section 49.1, will only be submitted to the federal authorities next year, Fadillah added.

(Image source: Google)

Aimed at reducing fatal accidents throughout said alignment, the Phase 3B project has an estimated value of RM385.3 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP). It’s also a continuation of the Phase 3A project worth RM219 million that is under construction, and is expected to be complete in October 2024, the senior works minister added further.

“This location has recorded the highest rate of accidents in Malaysia due to the absence of road shoulders, medians and U-turns, with 52 accidents reported from 2020 to June 2022,” said Fadillah.

The Senior Works Minister continued further by adding that the federal road FT050 is the main toll-free route that connects the Batu Pahat, Kluang and Mersing districts. It will also involve construction works to add road shoulders, medians, U-turns and other related works.

Apart from all this, the minister also noted that a further RM600,000 allocation has been approved towards upgrading street lights along federal road FT050. This is meant to further increase said stretch of road’s safety for users. - BERNAMA