Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Government has put measures in place to ensure the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah does not negatively impact existing drainage systems.
Assistant Minister of Public Works Datuk Limus Jury said that flood mitigation had been prioritised at every stage of the project’s planning and implementation to ensure no negative impact on water flow and flood conditions in the affected areas.
“Several initiatives have been undertaken from the early planning stages. Among them, the highway alignment was subject to rigorous evaluation and received approval from relevant government agencies, including the Sabah Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID),” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.
He added that culvert designs were based on the 50-year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI), following the guidelines set by Malaysia’s Urban Stormwater Management Manual (MSMA) issued by DID Malaysia.
“Additionally, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of Sabah played a crucial role, including in the approval of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and the execution of flood simulations prior to project commencement,” he said.
Limus was responding to Daud Yusof (Warisan–Bongawan), who queried the government’s efforts to prevent flooding in low-lying areas, particularly in connection with the Pan Borneo Highway project.
He said the highway’s design incorporated flood modelling to ensure that construction would not cause major changes to the natural water flow or disrupt existing drainage systems.
“This approach ensures that flooding will not worsen as a result of the highway’s construction.”
Limus also highlighted an innovative solution implemented in Beaufort, a district prone to frequent flooding during the rainy season. A section of the highway there had been constructed as an elevated road, he said.
“The elevated design allows rainwater to flow freely beneath the highway, reducing the flood risk and improving road safety. This measure also helps mitigate the impact of flooding on surrounding communities.”
During the construction phase, Limus stated that several proactive steps were being taken to reduce flood risks, including the maintenance of both temporary and newly constructed drainage systems, as well as improvements to drainage designs based on actual site conditions.
Contractors are responsible for ensuring that all drainage systems remain functional and not obstructed throughout the construction period.
“The project team is also refining the original drainage designs to match real-time ground conditions, allowing more efficient water flow and minimising flood risk.”Limus emphasised that addressing flood issues goes beyond the scope of the Pan Borneo Highway itself.
“The Ministry acknowledges that solving flood problems does not rely solely on mitigation measures within the highway construction. For areas beyond the project’s boundaries, we will intensify inter-agency collaboration to address these broader challenges effectively,” he concluded.
