Three New Roads to be Built soon
- to alleviate traffic congestion in Inanam

Published on: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 by Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Three new roads will be built or upgraded soon as a short-term solution to alleviate traffic congestion in Inanam.

Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) Director Datuk John Anthony said work on one of the roads, Jalan Nountun-Bukit Padang, is already underway and expected to be completed by end of next year.

The 2.6km single carriageway road is estimated to cost the State Government RM9 million.

"Due to congestion especially during peak hours, we want to provide an alternative for people who live in Kionsom or Inanam to go in and out of the area without having to travel on Jalan Lintas.

"Road users from Kionsom also could avoid using the Inanam roundabout and, instead, use the alternative road (the Jalan Nountun Bukit Padang) in the future," said Anthony.

The Jalan Nountun Bukit Padang will start from Taman Khidmat in Bukit Padang and end in the flat housing area near Taman Nelly in Kolombong.

Anthony was speaking during a project inspection and site visit with Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar, in Inanam.

"As a long-term solution, we would upgrade the existing Jalan Minintod-Kibabaig into a dual carriageway as well as build a flyover to replace the roundabout there," he said.

Other than the Jalan Nountun-Bukit Padang, plans are afoot for the construction of another road near St. Catherine Church to the Inanam tamu site that would redistribute some of the traffic to and from Kionsom area.

"It is less than half a kilometre, a short stretch but a very important stretch because it can divert some of the traffic," said Anthony.

The cost of the single carriageway stretch is estimated to be around RM500,000. It is expected to be completed within this year.

Meanwhile, the third road will bypass the Inanam roundabout and will be built over the existing Kampung Sinulihan road.

The Kionsom Bypass, as it would be called, would be a 1.5km dual carriageway which would be built from behind the Taipan area in Inanam and would meet the Kionsom road at the end of the Kampung Sinulihan road.

"So far, the design for the road has been completed. But we would probably only start building early next year once funds are made available," said PWD Deputy Director (Road Building) Edward Liew.

"The cost for the Kionsom Bypass is around RM15 million because although it is only 1.5km, it would be a dual carriageway compared to Jalan Nountun Bukit Padang's 2.6km which is a single carriageway costing only about RM9 million," said Anthony.

There are more than 10,000 people living in the Kionsom area and the number is expected to increase with the construction of more housing projects in the area. The large population also translates to more severe traffic congestion if nothing is done to alleviate it.

"It is hoped therefore that these projects would help solve the problems in the short term as we plan for long term solutions to them," said Anthony.

source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=86124