Tambunan stretch rendered impassable by 'debris flow'
Published on: Saturday, January 17, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: The Public Works Department (PWD) here plans to apply for 'debris flow' netting or traps to be put up at Km 38.8 along the KK- Tambunan- Keningau road near Kg Togudon under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).Its Principal Assistant Director (Slope Branch), Richard Jomiji, said this measure is needed to prevent a 'snowball effect' of the debris flow to the affected stretch that often happens during the rainy season. He said it is not a normal landslide as it often happens during the rainy season and is called 'debris flow' on the water path where it forces the debris and soil materials to flow from the hilly area to the road.
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"The cost of putting up the netting or traps would be about RM4 million in which a series of traps would be placed along the hilly area of the affected road to prevent the boulders and heavy debris from flowing down to the road and making it impassable to vehicles."When such proposal is approved by the Federal authorities, we will do a site investigation and hydrological study on the affected hilly area for the debris flow situation prior to placing the netting," he said.Jomiji disclosed this to Daily Express when commenting on a debris flow at Km 38.8 that occurred at 3pm on Friday.He said the department received a report on the situation at 3.40pm and the concessionaire sent a team and machinery to clean up the debris and boulders on both lanes that made the road impassable.
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At 6.10pm, he said the single carriage-way was passable to vehicles from both sides.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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However, he said, it is the first this year and that it had happened four times in either October or November last year. Fortunately, he said no untoward incident was reported as a result of the Friday landslide on the affected stretch.
