P'pang-Tambunan road closed due to landslide
Published on: Friday, October 10, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Motorists travelling from the State Capital to Tambunan and vice versa are advised to use either the Ranau-Tambunan route or the Sipitang-Tenom route.Public Works Department Director Datuk John Anthony said the Penampang-Tambunan route will be inaccessible for the time being due to two landslips on Km 45.6 and Km 49, between Gunung Alab and Rafflesia Centre, along the road."The landslips on Km 49, near the Rafflesia Centre, happened around 5am on Thursday and my officers have gone to the ground to put up warning signs and to assess the situation.ADVERTISEMENT "These landslips were caused by water seeping into the ground underneath the road after severe downpour since last week. It is estimated that repairs on the road would take between several weeks to few months."This is because the landslips occurred next to granite hills and any attempt to cut through those hills could possibly worsen the problem," he said.He continued that long-term solutions for the problem include building retaining walls to avoid future landslips.Anthony added that there were also unofficial reports of landslides on the Kimanis-Keningau route and advised that motorists should also avoid using the route for the time being until it was deemed safe by the department.ADVERTISEMENT "Another route which drivers must be cautious when travelling on is the Penampang-Papar route where a section of the road near the Lok Kawi Zoo had collapsed."The road is still accessible since only one lane is affected but I would advise motorists to use the Kota Kinabalu-Papar road. We are still monitoring the situation and would soon decide whether we would close the road," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Anthony also reported that another road which is inaccessible is the Duvanson-Navahiu road due to a landslide on the bridge along the road. "A landslip had also occurred on Km 7, Putaton-Bansadon road and although the road is still accessible, we would be closely monitoring the situation to decide on our next course of action," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
Nearer to home, Anthony said a section of the road on Shangri-La Hill near Airport View Hotel is buried by a landslide but still accessible since only one lane is affected.He said the department will be working hard to repair the damaged roads and urged the public, especially motorists, to be extra careful when driving during heavy rains.