CMS reaffirms that the Miri to Marudi Road is ahead of schedule to meet Completion Date

Kuching (Sarawak), Tuesday, 15 August 2017 – CMS Roads Sdn Bhd today moved to confirm that they are not only on track but ahead of schedule to meet their ‘Baram Regatta’ commitment of having a tar-sealed road stretching 15.95km from Kilometre Marker 0 to Kilometre Marker 15.950.

CMS Construction & Road Maintenance Division’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lim Jit Yaw, said: “Overall, this challenging project will take 30 months to complete. However, we have factored into our plans key dates and key cultural observations which will receive priority. Tar-sealing the 15.95km stretch of road that facilitates the Baram Regatta is one such priority. This commitment by us will be completed on time.”

“Road users should also be aware that the intention to seal almost 16km was to ensure a smooth ride. A smooth ride is achieved after laying and compacting the road base. To date, we have laid a road base of approximately 15.95km. All other technical factors considered, the total length for the smooth ride currently stands at 17.225km. Premix has already been laid down until the 10.64km mark and is scheduled to continue until 22 August 2017. That means, even if we cannot seal the first 15.95km (due to wet weather or other extraneous factors), the smooth riding surface has exceeded the estimated 16km to be done before the Regatta, giving participants peace of mind,” added Lim Jit Yaw.

“There is a misconception that building the 43.2km Miri-Marudi road can happen quickly and easily. We wish that were the case but we have constraints. This is not the case as the proposed road varies from steep hills to flood-prone low-lying swamplands. In most of these cases, the gradient of the hills does not meet safe road criteria, whereas the swamplands can be below flood levels. In both these instances, the steepness of the hills needs to be cut down to a compliant gradient, whereas the swamplands need to be filled-in and raised so they do not wash-away during heavy rains. In a lot of places, the road is in practice too narrow and inappropriate for larger vehicles to use. These narrow roads need to be widened and the bases of the widened areas also need to be reinforced.”

“When we drew-up the 30-month plan, we factored in all of these variables such as difficult earthworks, equipment accessibility for our heavy machinery and also severe adverse weather into the equation. We are currently 14.81% ahead of the 30-month schedule. With the years taking their toil, the Miri to Marudi road has long been deteriorating under natural conditions and unavoidable wear and tear. The road is currently undergoing a full rehabilitation to raise standards, improve safety and make for a more enjoyable driving experience for road users. The work to convert it from tired road to class Modified R1 Standard road, cannot happen overnight. We realise that the surrounding communities are excited at the prospect of finally having a Modified R1 Standard road to use; however, it will require a little time and we at CMS Roads will ensure that we continue to do our best to deliver on-spec and ahead of the 30-month schedule we promised the local communities.”