THE Penampang Municipal Council has upgraded the road between junction from Jalan Penampang-Tambunan to the main entrance of the Penampang Clinic.
A Kinarut rate-payer, meanwhile, hopes that the Papar District Council will undertake a similar improvement effort when it comes to the stretch between Kg Anak Dua and Taman Limauan.
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This action was prompted by feedback from two motorists about the poor driving experience on both roads. They provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding their grievances. This information was forwarded to the respective agencies.
A Council spokesman said it succeeded in securing some funds to have the “pavement strengthening and resurfacing” carried out on the road leading to the Clinic.
“One of our contractors attended to the road last week,” he said on March 5.
Premix was poured over an 80-metre length of the stretch, according to him, with a six-man team of workers using rakes and spades to evenly spread this material across the width of the road.
He said some machinery was subsequently used to seal the premix over the affected portion of the stretch.
The spokesman said personnel with the agency’s Engineering Division checked on the condition of the road in January, shortly after confirming that the stretch was listed in the agency’s road register.
“Depressions were observed to have formed in many places. Our staff also noticed that the asphalt had cracked, or eroded away, in other parts of the stretch.”
He said, at the time, the government concessionaire was apprised of these findings and urged to have the necessary repairs made as soon as possible.
“A group of the firm’s workers patched up the potholes on January 17. We have called on the company to be more mindful about the condition of the stretch to minimise the potential difficulties caused to motorists.”
Where the road in Kinarut was concerned, the District Council is looking into the claims about the “terrible” condition of the affected stretch
A spokesman for the agency said its personnel would have to verify the feedback from the driver who contacted the media.
“If it proves to be true, we will assess the extent of the damage to the stretch and arrange to have the necessary repairs made,” he said.
He declined to elaborate on how often the road was maintained.
NIZAM of Papar said the access road to Taman Limauan was laden with potholes of various shapes and sizes, which were a source of frustration to many motorists.
“The condition of the stretch has been going from bad to worse as it has not been maintained for years,” he said.
“It is way past time for the road to be resurfaced.
“If this can’t be done, then premix should at least be used to cover the potholes.”
Nizam said, whenever it rained, some of the potholes resembled wading pools for kids.
“The stretch becomes difficult to use especially for those with smaller vehicles during a downpour. It is impossible to swerve around some of the potholes as they have become quite wide.”
The Public Works Department was initially contacted about the road woes in this part of Kinarut.
A spokesman for the agency said it was helpless to intervene as the stretch was not listed in the agency’s road register.
“The most we can do is to alert the Council about the road-user’s concerns,” he said.
