THE long-awaited RM41mil road widening project from Taman Kempas Utama to Kampung Maju Jaya is finally ready.<\/p>\n
Johor works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the project involved widening the existing two-lane road into a 2.2km four-lane dual carriageway to ease traffic congestion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project, launched in 2018, was supposed to be completed in 2020 but faced delays and was extended to 2021, before being re-tendered to a new contractor in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main roadworks were physically completed around March and April this year, while remaining works involving the demolition of the old bridge and installation of new street lamps were finalised in August,\u201d he said after launching the road upgrading project.<\/p>\n
He said parts of the road were opened earlier to benefit motorists, especially during peak hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to open sections of the road earlier as the project took about seven years to complete.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a record to be proud of, but a valuable lesson for us to improve and strengthen the project implementation process in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The upgraded route includes street lamps, improved bridges and a better drainage system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bridge was built using the Bebo Arch method, an alternative proposed by the contractor, resulting in time and space savings, as well as cost savings of RM100,000,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope more contractors will work together with the government to offer innovative solutions that save time, suit conditions and reduce costs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mohamad Fazli added that the Johor Public Works Department (JKR) had faced coordination challenges at the federal level, but stressed that the state government remained committed to improving delivery timelines for future developments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue exploring new methods and approaches to ensure upcoming infrastructure projects can be completed ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has also challenged us to deliver state projects faster and more efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohamad Fazli said modern infrastructure and facilities were key in positioning Johor as a developed state by 2030.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n