Brunei's New Road: Jerudong-Tungku Link Road

BRUNEI-MUARA
Thursday, March 5, 2015

ROAD users can now use the six-kilometre Jerudong-Tungku Link Road after construction was completed and officially opened yesterday.

The $17.7 million link road is one of the projects under the 10th National Development Plan, or also known as RKN-10, for the provision of alternative route and connecting two main roads namely Jalan Jerudong (Simpang 396) and Jalan Rakyat Jati Rimba, the Ministry of Development said in a statement.

The ministry said the project, which was started in 2009, involved earthworks and drainage system as the main item in the scope of works in the first phase as a separate contract costing $12.8 million.

The second phase involved the construction of road pavement which was started in 2013 undertaken by local contractor Pro-Builder Sdn Bhd.

The scope of work under the second phase of the project included re-surfacing the nine-kilometre stretch from Simpang 396 of Jalan Jerudong leading to Simpang 324 of Rimba Utara Link Road and part of Jalan Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah.

Also, it consisted of the installation of traffic lights at the Jalan Selayun Jerudong/Simpang 396-93 junction to improve the safety of road users in the aforementioned areas.

Present to officially open the second phase of Jerudong-Tungku Link Road (road pavement) was Minister of Development Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman.

The ceremony took place at the project site near to Jalan Tungku/Jalan Rakyat Jati Rimba Roundabout.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, YB Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said that the construction of Jerudong-Tungku Link Road is part of the country’s east-west highway under the RKN-10.

“The idea is, of course, apart from facilitating the traffic in this area…diverting some of the traffic from the main trunk highway and also to open up some of the areas for development,” the minister told reporters.

He said that the new link road, for example, will provide easy access for the public to the Agro-Technology Park at Kg Tungku and housing areas in Katok and in Tungku.

He went on to say, “The next phase of the project is as you can see we are now widening from this roundabout to the Tungku Link and then there will be another link beyond…this is part of the plan. We also, in our plan, have some other roads that we want to build in the next couple of years.”

He explained that the solution to traffic congestion is not by building too many roads but perhaps by (implementing) some other major works. “This is a joint effort…not only by the Ministry of Development but also the Ministry of Communications and other ministries,” he added.

The ministry said that the completion of the project is anticipated to ease traffic congestion at main roads such as Jalan Tutong and Jalan Gadong because the volume of traffic from the direction of Muara-Tutong Highway via Jalan Jerudong will use this short path toward the capital and its vicinity.

The Jerudong-Tungku Link Road is a network that is also important in providing access and passage for land development around the Katok and Tungku areas such as the National Housing Scheme, general housing, government schools and commercial centres.

However, this Jerudong-Tungku Link Road is only part of the road networks under the Ministry of Development’s programme through its Public Works Department for the purpose of providing efficient and effective road infrastructure in order to facilitate the movement of traffic in the country’s key areas.

“InsyaAllah, more road networks will be constructed as a continuous effort in the years to come,” the statement said. – Sally Piri

Courtesy of The Brunei Times