The government concessionaire has repaired a Keningau road and will periodically keep an eye on the stretch to ensure that it does not become damaged again.A spokeswoman for the firm said a depression was found to be forming in this part of the road during a preliminary check last week.
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“Our staff noticed that that there was a hole in the middle of the depression where the asphalt had already given way,” she said.
“Our contractor returned later that same day to attend to the damage.”
One of the concessionaire’s staff removes the debris from below the affected section of the road.
She said the individual’s workers removed the affected section, filled it with gravel and then had it sealed.
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“We hope this offers road-users some temporary relief. Similar action was taken several months ago.
“This part of the road is prone to being damaged because the culvert underneath has partially collapsed.”
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The spokeswoman said the company had made a recommendation to the Public Works Department (PWD) to have a new culvert installed there.
“We are waiting for the agency to approve an allocation to do this.
Cracks have formed in the bitumen surrounding ‘the hole’, giving many the impression that more of the road might eventually give way.
“The cost of performing this replacement will most likely be included in the list of projects which the PWD’s Keningau branch will undertake next year.”
She said the firm would step up efforts to look after the stretch until a more permanent solution to these road woes could be enacted.
“Maintenance is carried out on as and when it becomes necessary to do so.
‘The hole’ was eventually filled with gravel.
“To this end, we hope motorists will inform the Department if potholes reform in the stretch.”
JIM, who lives in Kg Beringin, was under the impression that one part of Jalan Beringin-Gadong was “sinking”.
“I noticed that that the surface of road dipped, suddenly, on a Tuesday afternoon this month,” he said.
“There was a hole at the base of the dip and cracks could be seen on parts of the asphalt.
He got the impression that more of the stretch might give way, if the local authorities did not intervene.
“I suspect that the earth on which the road was built might have destabilised.”
AZREN, who cycles along the road regularly, noticed that a stick had been placed in the pothole.
“Some Good Samaritan didn’t want this part of the road to sink further,” he said.
“But, the stick encroaches into one of the lanes on the duel carriage way. Drivers risk colliding with vehicles coming from the opposite direction.”
To make matters worse, he said, the structure was placed not far from a bend in the stretch, which made the situation even more hazardous.
“Traffic here can be particularly heavy, at times, as a lot of motorists use this road to reach the town.
“There is every likelihood that the asphalt might collapse under the weight of the added traffic, if the depression is not dealt with quickly.”
He hoped the Department would act before someone came to harm or worse.
Meanwhile, the PWD has covered the damaged sections of a Manggatal road, a few days after being informed by the media about the potholes which had formed near the junction to a village there.
A Department spokesman said this action was taken after sizeable patches of the road-surface, near the T-junction to Jalan Limpugou, were found to have worn away
“Gravel was initially poured over the damaged sections and the road was subsequently levelled,” he said.
“Our contractor returned, shortly thereafter, to apply asphalt to this part of the stretch.”
Gravel was initially poured over the damage to this Manggatal stretch.
He said the agency intended to have the road thoroughly resurfaced next year and would discuss the cost of this work with the relevant parties.
“The road leading to the junction is being used in part by contractors involved in building of the Pan-Borneo Highway.
“While looking into the pothole problem, our officers also observed the presence of lorries travelling to and from a construction site in the area.”
He said the movement of these heavy vehicles had contributed to the deteriorating condition of the stretch.
“Once the development has been completed, the PWD will work together with the developer to resolve these road-woes more effectively.”
RAMPAS of Manggatal bemoaned the lack of maintenance carried out on the stretch, saying that it had not been attended to “for years”.
“It is way past time that a new layer of asphalt is applied to the surface as the road is badly damaged,” he said. “The stretch has a tendency to flood during a downpour, with potholes forming after the water recedes.”
He said highlighted the road woes to a local politician in 2018, but nothing came of this effort.
“Earlier this year, I contacted the Department’s ‘Bahagian Bandaraya (City Section)’ and was told to take up this problem with the agency’s officers who were overseeing the road-widening work here.”
Rampas hoped the Department would speed up efforts to repair the stretch before a bad traffic accident occurred.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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.jpg "Damaged culvert causes K’gau road to sink")
