Construction of RM18 million Tuaran bridge to begin soon: Rahman Dahlan

TUARAN: A planned concrete bridge, which will connect Tuaran township with several villages here, is expected to be completed in less than two years.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said construction of the RM18 million bridge, which will begin at the end of the year, will take 18 months.

The project will begin at Pekan Tuaran, and pass over Sungai Damit to reach villages such as Sungai Damit, Sawah, Bantayan and Damat, among others.

“The bridge will be 104m long and seven metres wide. It will also be furnished with a pedestrian walkway with a width of 1.5m.

“Once completed, the bridge will benefit over 7,000 villagers,” he said at the launch of the Tuaran bridge project.

Rahman, who is also Kota Belud assemblyman, said the bridge will be a major convenience for local residents, as they will no longer have to take the long route via Jalan Tuaran-Tamparuli, which takes more than 30 minutes, to reach town.

He added that the modern bridge, which replaces a suspension bridge, would ease travel for villagers.

On another matter, Rahman said that the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stands at RM58.1 billion, based on the 2010 assessment.

“In 2015, the GDP stood at RM73.5 billion, with per-capita income up to RM21,081,” he said.

Present at the launch were Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau; Sabah Tourism Board chairman cum Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai; and Sabah Public Works Department director Amrullah Kamal.