Construction advances on Airport Road for autonomous rapid transit network, supported by road safety campaign

The ongoing construction along Airport Road for ART stations along the Red Line alignment from Kuching Central to Pending.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Aug 30: Construction along Airport Road is advancing, with a focus on site clearing while hoarding walls have been erected for the future Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) stations along the Red Line of the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS) that will connect Kuching Central to Pending.

On Aug 28, Sarawak Metro launched a road safety awareness campaign to promote safer road habits among users in the KUTS project area.

The campaign, organised in collaboration with the Red Line contractor SJCJV — a joint venture between Sri Datai Construction (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd, JT JV Builders Sdn Bhd, and CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd — was supported by various agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Police, the Road Transport Department, the Public Works Department (JKR) Kuching, Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Sarawak, and the Federal Secretary Office Sarawak.

Mazli helps a motorcyclist put on a safety vest during a road safety awareness campaign along Airport Road on Aug 28, 2024.

According to a media release, the campaign aims to raise public awareness about road safety during the construction of the KUTS project, focusing on promoting safer practices among motorists, pedestrians and construction workers involved in the project.

Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Ts Mazli Mustaffa emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of all road users as construction progresses.

“We all have a role to play in ensuring road safety, and it is essential for everyone to adhere to traffic rules, signages and instructions, particularly near construction sites,” he said, expressing his gratitude to SJCJV for their support.

During the campaign, road users received goodie bags with safety pamphlets and vests to reinforce the importance of road safety and prevent accidents.

An artiste impression of the ART Station along the Red Line alignment of KUTS.

Meanwhile, the construction for the Red Line, spanning 12.3 kilometres from Kuching Central to Pending with seven station, has expanded to Pelita Heights, Swinburne University and along Jalan Tun Razak.

Construction is also underway for the proposed ART Interchange Station at Simpang Tiga, with piling works for the detention pond and preparation for station piers and rebar fabrication for bore piles ongoing as of mid-August.

For the 27.6-kilometre Blue Line from Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange with 15 stations, construction works continued steadily for the Rembus ART depot, especially on two main buildings — the mechanical workshop and administration building which also houses the operation control centre (OCC).

An artiste impression of the ART station platform for the KUTS network.

The Red and Blue Lines form Phase 1 of the KUTS project, which also includes the 30-kilometre Green Line from Pending to Damai Central with nine stations, creating a nearly 70-kilometre route network.

Construction of the first package for the Blue Line is expected to complete by the fourth quarter of 2025, with all three lines scheduled to be fully completed by the end of 2027.

The ART vehicles will operate on dedicated, trackless lanes, mostly at-grade (road level) while certain sections of the alignment will be elevated.

The ART system will be complemented by a network of feeder buses, including hydrogen-powered vehicles, to provide ‘first mile and last mile’ connectivity for commuters. — DayakDaily