MELAKA (July 10): The Melaka state government plans to construct four new roads to bolster its sea transportation system.

State Public Works, Infrastructure, Public Amenities and Transport Committee chairman Datuk Hameed Mytheen Kunju Basheer said these roads will connect through ports and jetties, such as the Tanjung Bruas port in Tanjung Kling, the KMB jetty, and upcoming ports in the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (SM-WEZ).

He said the state government intends to build a new road and upgrade the existing route from the Bukit Ramabi Industrial Park junction to Tanjung Bruas Port, with a projected cost of RM428.37 million under Rolling Plan 1 (RP1) of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).

“For the SM-WEZ area, the proposed Coastal Highway Project will stretch across the Alor Gajah and Melaka Tengah districts, linking Kuala Linggi, Masjid Tanah, Sungai Udang, Klebang, Limbongan, Jalan Pantai, Syed Abdul Aziz Bridge, Alai, Telok Mas and Melaka city.

“The feasibility study, completed in 2013, estimates a road length of 52.3 kilometres and a project cost of RM3.622 billion,” he said during the Melaka state assembly sitting at Seri Negeri here on Wednesday.

In response to Tuminah Kadi @ Mohd Hashim (BN-Pantai Kundor), who queried the state’s preparedness to enhance road transport to complement sea transport, Hameed disclosed that Phase 1 of the Coastal Highway Project, included in RP5 of RMK12, involves constructing a four-lane road from Hatten City to Semabok, costing RM500 million.

He further detailed plans to upgrade Jalan Tun Hamzah from the Road Transport Department junction to the Alor Gajah-Melaka Tengah-Jasin (AMJ) Semabok junction, with a budget of RM300 million, approved under RP3 of RMK12, and is currently in the road design phase by the Public Works Department.

“In the Linggi Port area, the state aims to construct a RM125 million road from Kuala Linggi to Ayer Molek in Masjid Tanah, approved under RP4 of RMK12, and presently undergoing survey work by JKR,” he added.

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