Last obstacle to complete iconic Lawas bridge removed

MIRI (Dec 7): The final hurdle to complete the Lawas bridge project has been removed with the demolition of the last house obstructing the road to the bridge, said Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) in a statement posted to its Facebook page yesterday.

Once completed, the iconic bridge marks not only a significant milestone for Lawas but also a turning point for the Lawas community, as it will vastly improve connectivity and economic opportunities in the northern region of Sarawak.

On hand to witness the demolition were the house owner, identified only as Ramli, along with Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) regional director Datu Ubaidillah Abdul Latip, representatives from the project consultant HAPM Consultants Sdn Bhd, Independent Checking Engineer (ICE) and the project contractor PPK Sdn Bhd.

“With the road now clear, contractor PPK Sdn Bhd has reaffirmed their dedication and pledged to expedite the project’s progress,” said Recoda.

The RM149-million Lawas bridge project kicked off on May 26, 2022. It involves construction of a 642m long and 12.4m wide bridge, complete with four tower arches, suspension cables with LED lighting, as well as a 1.1km access road.

It is part of the infrastructure development which will string together communication with the new Lawas Airport and the 86km Northern Coastal Highway and proposed integrated refinery complex with an investment of US$5 billion (over RM23 billion).

“The RM149-million bridge project has achieved 16 per cent completion, and is now expected to be delivered by 2026,” the statement added.

This bridge is among the 168 projects under NRDA, which has been allocated with RM1.5 billion by the Sarawak government to expedite infrastructure development in the Limbang and Lawas regions.