Tolls in general

Tolls means fees paying. A toll road will have a toll plaza or a toll booth located across a road. It is also known as Premium Roads. There are also toll bridges and toll tunnel.

Toll roads, bridge and tunnel exist for various reasons:

1. To collect funds to cover up the incurred construction cost and maintenance cost of the road. All these “premium” infrastructure are almost always branded as premiums as involving higher quality build materials for increase speed limits and longevity of the structure. These translated to a higher cost of building and maintenance than normal infrastructure. The maintenance is usually very tight. Failure of maintenance will cost serious consequences like collapsed bridge and tunnels, accidents and dangerous pot holes on highway.
2. To collect revenue for the state. It is obvious that the state will gain some form of revenue from the tolls. These revenue will be used for upgrading other facilities and value added services.
3. To control traffic and usage. Toll infrastructure always exist along with non-toll infrastructure. When come to the concept of premiums, it will be accompany with a fee. User can use a faster connection using premium facilities but with a fee, or use free facilities with a longer commute and far indirect connections. Some country place toll in order to reduce individual vehicles on roads as to reduce the city traffic volume (and air pollution) and encourage the use of pooled vehicles and public transport.

Tolls can be collected either via cash counters or Digital prepaid cards. Digital or smart cards are preferred as it will shorten the queue for transaction.

Maintenance of toll plaza and toll booths was also not free. It involves man power and maintenance of building structures, automation devices and computer systems. The maintenance of toll plazas and booth occasionally cost a significant lost to the revenue gain from tolls.

Many are skeptical about existence of toll roads as some are considered regressive taxation and have burden to the lower income population rather than higher income populations.

Malaysian Expressway System

The Malaysian Expressway System forms the backbone networks of nation controlled roads and highways in Malaysia.

They were 30 expressways in the country and the total length is 1,821 kilometers. The well known expressway are the North–South Expressway which passes through all the major cities (Penang, Ipoh, the Klang Valley and Johor Bahru) in Peninsular Malaysia.

The major reason behind building the Expressway in Malaysia is because of increasing traffic volume in the existing Federal Route. These increase in traffic volume is due increase of population in major cities and towns, increase connectivity with bigger ports and airports, and increasing affordability of private transport vehicles. The building of Expressways accelerate the development of surrounding areas and reduce the connection time between cities.

Toll Expressway in Malaysia

All Malaysian toll expressways are controlled-access highway and managed in the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system.

Controlled-access highway are also known as freeway or motorway, with the main purpose of unhindered flow of traffic (road vehicles), which it have no traffic signals, intersections, pedestrian paths, railways or property access directly to the Expressway. The only entrance and exit from the expressway is via specific interchanges to the collector roads. There are also feature of pedestrian footbridge, underpass or overpass for other roads and railroads, which do not directly connected with the highway.

Build–operate–transfer (BOT) usually applicable to various infrastructure projects including roads, railways and mass transit. It is a model that allows public-private partnership. To relieve the burden on the public finance alone (government), these infrastructure is usually designed, financed, build by private sector via a agreement or contract. After the construction of the infrastructure, the private sector have the ownership and rights to collect back revenue to recover the initial cost of building and maintenance for a certain period of time as per contract. However the infrastructure will be transferred back to the public administration once the contract expired.

Toll expressways in Malaysia are classify into Open tolls, close tolls and mixed (Open and Closed) tolls.

Open tolls will incur a fix payment to the user on the particular section of the expressway. While Closed Tolls require a ticket or PLUStransit cards during the entrance of the expressway and payment according to how much had been traveled at the exit of the expressway. When it involves a whole stretch of road like the north-south Expressway, it will become a mix variety.

The Open Tolls in Malaysia:

• Federal Highway (2)
• Second Link Expressway (E3)
• Shah Alam Expressway (E5)
• Cheras-Kajang Highway (E7)
• Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (E8)
• Sungai Besi Expressway (E9)
• New Pantai Expressway (E10)
• Damansara-Puchong Expressway (E11)
• Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (E12)
• Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (E15)
• Butterworth Outer Ring Road (E17)
• Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (E18)
• Maju Expressway (E20)
• Western KL Traffic Dispersal System (E23)
• Tun Salahuddin Bridge (E24)
• Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (E25)
• Seramban-Port Dickson Highway (E29)
• New North Klang Straits Bypass (E30)
• Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (E33)
• Guthrie Corridor Expressway (E35)
• Penang Bridge (E36)
• Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (E38)

The Closed Tolls in Malaysia :

• New Klang Valley Expressway (E1)
• North-South Expressway, Central Link (E6)
• East Coast Expressway (E8)
• Senai-Desaru Expressway (E22)
• South Klang Valley Expressway (E26)

The Mixed Tolls in Malaysia:

• North-South Expressway, Northern Route (E1)
• North-South Expressway, Southern Route (E2)
• Kajang-Seremban Highway (E21)
• Penang Second Bridge (E28)

The Toll scenarios of Sarawak

We know that Peninsular Malaysia have many toll expressways. What about the Toll scenarios in Sarawak ?

The Tun Salahuddin Bridge in Kuching is the first only toll expressway in East Malaysia. The 6-lane, dual-deck Tun Salahudin Bridge is an elegant, 339 meters long, 28 meters wide low-level bridge over the Sarawak River. The bridge is completed on September 2003 and toll concession started on October 2003. However it was declared toll free after the ending of the 12 years toll concession in 1st January 2016.

The Sibu’s Lanang Bridge is a 1220 meter bridge constructed in 2003 across the Batang Rajang river. It comprises dual carriageway, four balanced cantilever spans and eight equal spans of 40 meters length at each side of the cantilever spans. It replace the former river ferry service that allow connection between Sibu and Sarikei (part of the Pan Borneo Highway at the Sarikei-Sibu section). The bridge is opened to public on 11 April 2006. Lanang Bridge is the lifeline of the people of Rajang River Basin, the initial toll had cause many criticism and burden to the locals. Although it meant to be a toll bridge for 22 years, however following a discussion between Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Wong and Shin Yang Group of Companies chief executive officer Tan Sri Datuk Ling Chiong Hoe (the builder of the RM180 million bridge), Lanang Bridge becomes a toll free bridge staring 24 May 2015.

The Batang Baram Bridge or ASEAN Bridge is a 1040 meters bridge with 19 spans, crossing the Batang Baram river. It is located approximately 35km north of Miri City, 2km upstream of the New Miri Port Complex. It allows direct road access between Sarawak and Brunei with one of the end connecting the immigration Checkpoint at Sungai Tujuh. The Asean Bridge replacing the previously ferry service across Batang Baram. The Bridge completed in August 2003. The Asean Bridge was rated the most expensive toll bridge in Sarawak for the short distance traveled, quoting RM10 per use for a normal car. It creates much burden to the frequent travelers and daily commute between Miri and Brunei. Beginning 1st June 2015, the toll collection at the Asean Bridge in Miri was abolished.

The toll-free Sarawak policy was announced by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem in April 2015.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when launching the upgrading of construction works of the Pan Borneo Highway near Bintulu in April 2015, promised that the highway throughout Sarawak would be toll-free. The reasons being as this was the only highway linking the cities and towns of this vast state.

During the December Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting in 2015, Adenan also reiterated that the state’s portion of the Pan Borneo Highway would be toll-free.

The prerequisite for implementing Tolls

There is few prerequisite for a toll roads or bridge.

• Toll infrastructure is also view as a “premium access” infrastructure. It will be a value added infrastructure that is different from preexisting infrastructure. These infrastructure is usually with higher quality, complexity and better maintenance service.
• Toll infrastructure usually co-exist with non-toll infrastructure for a competitive advantage. For example to connect a same destination, people can choose between a choice of toll expressway for faster and smoother access but with a fee, or a choice of a free country road which is longer and congested. However if it is the only road that connect the destinations, it would not be rational for toll implementation as it will directly affecting the lifeline of connectivity.
• Toll infrastructure is usually very objective specific. For example All Toll Expressway in Malaysia are controlled-access highway. Vehicles can only enter or exit via specific interchanges to the collector roads. All controlled-access Highway prevents pedestrians and bicyclists from using the expressway, some are off limit to industrial and construction vehicles.
• Toll infrastructure is usually strategically located where affordability is not an issue. If the expenses of using is much higher than what the local population can afford, it reduce the demand of its use and diminish the reason for its existence in the first place.

The imminent upgrade to the life line of Sarawak

Vision 2020 is near and our nation is in need to achieve to be a high income nation by year 2020. However at current stage, there is still a gap between high income states and low income states, which postponed the vision of high income status to 2030. In dire needs of accelerating socio economic growth, many game changing strategies must take place.

The paradigm shift had been taken place via 11th Malaysian Plan in 2016, in keeping with New Development Model, together with Sarawak Socioeconomic Transformation Plan (SETP) and Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

The Pan Borneo Highway project is launch under Sarawak Socioeconomic Transformation Plan with objective not only to raise the income of the many rural areas connected by the highway, but also accelerate the socioeconomic growth along the 1,089 km long highway in Sarawak side, creating new opportunity and efficient connection between many towns and cities.

The limitations for a toll expressway in current Sarawak

Much had worried initially about to toll issues prior to year 2015. There is many limitations in implementing the toll in Pan Borneo Highway.

• The Pan Borneo Highway is currently the only direct road access that connects most major cities and towns in Sarawak. It is a major lifeline of the socioeconomic of Sarawak. Unlike Peninsular Malaysia which have extensive network of peripheral and secondary roads to all important sectors, cities and town. The current Pan Borneo Highway project involves upgrading 779km of preexisting road from single carriageway to double carriageway. Toll implementation in this highway will severely impaired the potential of a expected accelerated socioeconomic growth.
• The current highway not only travel by private motor vehicles, it also travel by timber lorries, palm oil trucks, tractors and trailers, vehicle transport trailers, oil trucks and many industry and commercial vehicles. Toll implementation will raise the transportation cost within Sarawak, which indirectly will increase the price for retail goods (Sarawak already have higher price for retail goods in compared to the same goods sold in Peninsular Malaysia)
• Many user of the roads are middle and low income population from the rural areas. Toll implementation will burden the local folks who need to travel from village to town daily for selling of their harvest like fish, vegetable and fruits.
• The current highway roads is innervated with many side junctions and intersections, connecting many long houses and road side village. With some important infrastructure like clinics, schools and place of worship just beside the road. It is impractical to make the current road into an toll expressway as it will cost much more to relocate farms and properties, building and maintain toll booths with many intersection, and building overpass and underpass for cross road connectivity.

Sarawak- A toll free state

In the short term, the building of Pan Borneo Highway project is a heavy financial burden to the state, but looking forward to its untapped potential and exponential socioeconomic growth it brings to the local, the cost of building and maintaining the Pan Borneo Highway can be slowly offset by a higher income and revenue generated by the growth along the Highway in the long term.

Tolls is a double edge sword. The benefit of being able to recover the initial building cost and structural maintenance are sometimes causing negative impact on the socioeconomic growth of the locals, especially to areas with predominantly middle and low income groups.

In the race with time to meet the dateline for socioeconomic growth and achieving a high income state, the idea of tolls is been abolished, at least during this critical period of transformation of Sarawak.

That brings to a conclusion of Sarawak being a toll-free state in Malaysia.

Side note: At least those bicyclists who wish to cycle across the northern Borneo island from Kuching till Sabah can still do so via the Pan Borneo Highway (unless it is gazette as control-access highway one day).

You got it right, This two hydroelectric behemoth have a combined power generation capacity more than the total output of all the other 18 hydroelectric power plants in Malaysia combined. Lets find out more !

Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectricity is electricity produced from hydro-power or the power of moving water. The water movement energy is captured into movement (kinetic) of a rotating turbine which in turn runs a generator that converts the movement into electric power.

There is many forms of hydroelectric power generation, most commonly found is the hydroelectric dams (conventional hydroelectric power station). The power is extracted from the potential energy generated from the dammed water behind the dams. The higher the difference between the height of the source (water reservoir in the dam) and the water outflow, the higher potential energy it can used to generate power.

To generate stable amounts of continuous energy, dam must be tall to generate adequate pressure difference to turn a water turbine, and enough reservoir to ensure continuous supply of water to run water turbine, even at times of less rainfall.

To reduce the cost of building large and long walls across an area to impound or store water, dams is usually build near mountain ridge with most of the height of the mountain used as a natural dam walls.

Pros and Cons of a hydroelectric dam

The benefit of a hydroelectric dams:

• Flexibility/Fast Response : being simple in power generation methodology, hydro turbines can be powered up or powered down just by controlling the flow of water into the turbines. It responds faster than starting other type of combustion engines that using steam or gas turbines. It is important as power demands can varies allot over a day, hydroelectric power plants can response to peak demand in a very short time.
• Cheaper Energy : Unlike fuel in a combustion generator, you don’t need to pay each cubic meter of water to generate the similar power. Water is abundant through rainfalls. Hence it is seen as low cost high value clean energy. Usually in 5-10 years of full electricity generation, it can cover the initial cost of construction.
• Low Maintenance : Most of the hydroelectric dams are automated and only require fewer personnel on the site during normal operation, which translated to a low operating labor cost.
• Suitable for Energy Intensive Industry : Some industry requires mass amount of electricity to be operated, for example is an aluminum electrolytic plants (to extract pure aluminum from its ore you need vast amount of electricity for electrolysis, which can translate into 20-40% of the cost of producing aluminum.)
• Natural Battery : The massive reservoirs behind the dams acts a a natural battery of potential energy storing for later uses. Which comparing to other renewable energy such as wind and solar that requires a separate physical battery to store energy to ensure continuity of electricity supply. This cuts down the comparative cost to store energy and reduce the need of physical battery which mostly using dangerous material and rare metals.

The disadvantages of a hydroelectric dams:

• Ecosystem damage : To build a large enough reservoir to impound enough water to sustain a effective power generation, large amount of land behind the dams are submerged under water. Lands are loss, wildlife and people are displaced due to massive flooding.
• Fluctuation in river flow : The downstream river flow will have wide fluctuation of water level over the day corresponding to the intermittent opening of the turbine gates during power generation. More gates will be open during times of high power demand.
• Siltation and sedimentation : River with high water flow can bring silt and suspended sediments from soil erosion far down to the down stream. Building a dam will reduce the effective flow of the water and hence build up sediments over dependent areas causing reduce in dam capacity over time.
  
• Methane emissions : Dams are considered clean energy by not producing CO2 emissions during energy production, displacing billions of tons of CO2 emissions across the globe in comparing to fossil fuel combustion power station. However, dams in tropical climate have different impact than those in temperate climate. Methane – a more potent green house gases than carbon dioxide – are produced from anaerobic decay of massive amounts of plant material flooded by the reservoir. To reduce methane production, forest of the flooded area need to be clear off.
• Failure risks : A dam failure may cause disaster and massive flood as more than a year worth of rain fall are released in a short time during a catastrophic failure. Newer dams are build with better safety features to reduce catastrophic failure, even in event of earth quakes and storm.

The Hydroelectric Power in Malaysia

Malaysia lies in a tropical climate region is blessed with whole years of abundance rainfall. With vast land, high hills and long river systems, it is nevertheless a suitable ground for dam building and hydroelectric power generation.

In peninsular Malaysia, majority of the dams are located at Sungai Perak and Cameron Highlands. In Sarawak,  Two dams located at Sungai Rajang tributaries and one dam located at Batang Ai river.

Below is the top 10 list of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Malaysia, ranked by install capacity (peak power generation).

1. 2400MW – Bakun Dam (Balui River, Sarawak)
2. 944MW – Murum Dam (Murum River, Sarawak)
3. 600MW – Pergau Dam (Sungai Pergau, Kelantan)
4. 400MW – Sultan Mahmud Power Station or Kenyir Dam (Sungai Terengganu, Terengganu)
5. 372MW – Ulu Jelai Power Station (Sungai Bertam, Cameron Highlands, Pahang)
6. 348MW – Temenggor Power Station or Temengor Dam (Sungai Perak, Perak)
7. 150MW – Sultan Idris II (Cameron Highlands, Pahang)
8. 120MW – Sultan Azlan Shah Kenering Power Station (Sungai Perak, Perak)
9. 100MW – Sultan Yusof Jor Power Station (Cameron Highlands, Pahang)
10. 100MW – Batang Ai Dam (Batang Ai River, Sarawak)

The top two dams have the combined power generation capacity more that the total power generated from the others dams in Malaysia combined.

The Hydroelectric Power in Sarawak

In Sarawak, hydroelectric is the most promising alternative renewable energy source due to abundance of water with an annual precipitation of about 4000mm.

Furthermore there is many suitable sites for hydroelectric dam building. There is many natural occuring basins in the mountaineous inlands of Sarawak. This basins forms a huge catchment areas suitable for building huge dam reservoirs. The notable basins are the various Rajang basins (which holds by the Bakun dam, Murum dam and the future Baleh dam) and other smaller basins like baram basins and limbang basins.

Basins are areas that are surrounded by higher grounds, forming a natural bowl like structure that water have limited outlet to escape. While the catchment area is area where all rainfall is collected, which corresponding to the draining rivers and tributaries. For example of Bakun Dam, it is located at the main outlet of water from the mountains (catchment area) via balui river. Due to its narrow outlet and large basin, it becomes a great potential to be a effective dam.

Dams in Sarawak is planned not only for power generation, but act as flood control, irrigation and supply of drinking water.

The first hydroelectric dam in Sarawak is the Batang Ai Hydroelectric Power Plant. The construction started in 1981 and completed in 1985, have a capacity of 108MW. After 30 years, it is  still contributing clean and reliable energy.

SCORE

Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) was launched on 11 February 2008. It  is one of five economic development corridors created by the Federal Government of Malaysia as part of its ambitious plan to stimulate investment-led growth in traditionally rural areas.

The focus of the Corridor is to attracts investors to a designated developing area (spanning area of 70,000 square kilometers) with industry that gives the highest economic impact in Sarawak. The 10 priority industry is Oil-based, Aluminum, Steel, Tourism, Palm-oil, Timber-based, Livestock, Aquaculture, Marine Engineering and Glass Industry.

In the long term it will move the state economy up, achieve higher per-capita income, enhance quality of life, achieve balanced regional development and eradicate poverty.

Under the Sarawak SCORE development plan, the implementation of Hydroelectric Power Dams are given emphasis (focus on growing the energy sector) to cater for future domestic, commercial and industry electricity demands in Sarawak.

Murum Dam is the Sarawak Energy’s first hydropower facility launched under Sarawak SCORE initiative. The second hydropower plant under the same initiative is the Baleh Hydroelectric Project which planned to be commenced in October 2018. Other feasible hydropower projects includes Limbang 150MW hydroelectric Power and Barang 1,000MW hydroelectric power.

The Bakun Dam

The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam (dam shaped like a bank or hill) on the Balui River, a tributary of the Rajang River. The construction started in 1996 and operating in 2011.

With the height of 205m and length of 750m, it is the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam in the world. With 8 turbines (Francis turbine ) of of 300MW each, it can generate 2,400MW at full operation.

The reservoir have an estimated surface area of 695 km2, with a catchment area (area of land where water is collected and drained) of 14,750 km2.

The Murum Dam

The Murum Dam is a Roller-compacted concrete gravity dam on the Murum River, which is the uppermost part of Rajang River basin, 70Km from the Bakun dam downstream.

A Gravity dam is a dam utilizing the weight of the building material (concrete) to resist the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it.

The construction begins in 2008 and started operating in 2014. It had height of 141m and length of 473m. With 4 turbines (Francis turbine ) of of 236MW each, it can generate 944MW at full operation.

The reservoir have an estimated surface area of 245 km2, with a catchment area of 2,750 km2.

The Scale of the Reservoir at Bakun and Murum

The scale of the reservoir can be clearly seen from the satellite imagery. The area is flooded and initially creating a dark colored reservoir seen from the satellite due to dead and decaying plantation, however over time when silts and sediments sets in, it creates a pale looking lake from the satellite imagery.

It was a dense forest back then. The two rivers being the tributary of Majestic Rajang River which connects various native settlements of mainly Dayaks.

The Bakun dam started its construction in 1996.

During the constructing of the Bakun dam, a second dam is also started its construction over the upper Rajang Basin. The Murum Dam starts its construction in 2008.

The Bakun dam flooding started in 2010. In 2012, the reservoir grew to a significant size that can be spot from the satellite imagery.

The Murum dam starts to fill its reservoir in 2013 and starts its operation in 2014. The satellite imagery showing the color difference in both reservoir which corresponding to the submerged entities and sediments.

Both reservoir is still increasing in size over time.

The two dams may cause a lost of 1000km2 of rainforest land (nearly one and half of a land area of singapore) that is permanently submerged underwater. Over time soil erosion and siltation of the reservoir create much concern.

The Baleh Hydroelectric Project

The quest of clean renewable energy doesn’t stops with Batang Ai, Bakun and Murum. The next hydroelectric project is the Baleh Hydroelectric Project which impound a hydroelectric dam at the Baleh River, about 95 km from its confluence with the Rajang River in the Kapit Division. It is the third dam involving the tributary of Rajang River.

The Baleh Hydroelectric dam  is planned to includes a 188m high Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam, with total of 1,285MW installed capacity via 5 turbines. Once completed it will be second in installed capacity after Bakun dam.

The reservoir have an estimated surface area of 588 km2, with a catchment area of 5,625 km2. It is double the surface area and catchment area in compared to the Murum reservoir.

The project is estimated to be commenced in October 2018, with plan to be commission in 2025. It is also dub as “one of Sarawak’s largest infrastructure projects”.

There are many more dam project in the future in the quest for green energy in Sarawak. Whats their benefit or impact to the nature and socioeconomic ? lets stay tune!

This ambitious project not only to upgrade the existing road infrastructure, but also improved connectivity inter-state and inter-country, that will be the game changer that will catalyses the economic growth along the north coast of Borneo Island, which forms the backbone of the Northern Economic Corridor of Borneo Island.

The potential of northern corridor of Borneo Island

Borneo Island is the third largest island in the world (after Greenland and New Guinea) spanning an area of 743,330 square kilometers. It is also the Largest island in Asia.

The North Coast of Borneo Island is shared by Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah (Sarawak and Sabah is part of Malaysia), while the other part of the Island on the south is occupy by Kalimantan Indonesia.

The North Coast of Borneo is adjacent to the South China sea, which is the major shipping route which carries one third of the world’s shipping passes and connects many major international ports. Shipping trades as far from Europe nation can pass through straits of Malacca and Taiwan via South China Sea to trade with China, Japan and Korea.

The South China Sea is also known for its fisheries and natural deposits of natural gas and petroleum.

The Borneo island’s economy is mainly depends on Agriculture, Logging and Oil & gas. Borneo is rich with natural resources, scattered around deep forrest and sea. At north Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak is famous for exports of Timber, liquified natural gas and petroleum while Brunei is  the largest oil producer of oil in Southeast Asia. Sarawak also famous for oil palm, black pepper plantations while Sabah famous for rubber, cacao, vegetables, and for its fisheries.

Along the north coast of Borneo there is also few sea ports available, major ones are like Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri in Sarawak; Labuan, Sandakan, Tawau and lahad datu in Sabah; Kuala Belait and Seria in Brunei.

Other than agriculture, oil and shipping, the North Borneo have two major hydroelectric dams in Sarawak namely Bakun dam and Batang Ai dam. These two power generating behemoth generates massive amount of renewable energy for the growing cities and industries along the north coast.

Furthermore with natural parks with native preserved rainforest, world recognized prehistoric caves , beautiful natural coral reefs , relaxing sun scorching beaches , all forms a ecotourism backbone of the north Borneo.

Hence it is crucial in connecting all the north Borneo developing zones in order to create a economic powerhouse. The Northen Economic Corridor is imminent in near future, and the Pan Borneo Highway projects will accelerate the development.

The Challenges Along the North Coastline

Along the North coast of Borneo Island, there are many scattered cities and towns with many independent agriculture, commercial, and tourism zones. However there had been many challenges to connecting all of them efficiently due to uneven terrains and huge rivers.

For decades, many had travel the mountainous roads with dangerous curves and steep downhill roads. The federal route, part of existing trans Borneo Highway is mainly a 2-lane single carriageway, which limits the carriage capacity. Due to the nature of the terrain, many of the routes are not suitable for overtakes and fatal road accidents are not uncommon.

Among the ussage of the roads are oil tanker trucks, timber trucks, cargo lorries, car carrier trailers, palm oil carrying  trailers, long distance tour busses etc. These posses traffic dangers to the smaller vehicles when comes to winding 2 lane single carriageways.

Major terraforming is imminent for a upgrade to 4-lane double carriageway as many of the existing roads are steep and winding around hills, which is not suitable for high speed travels.

Rivers been known to connects many of the in-land towns and villages.

The Rajang River is one of the largest and longest river in Malaysia with approximately 563 km length, connecting various towns along the rivers namely Sibu, Kanowit, Sarikei, Bintangor, Song and Belaga. To build bridges across this mile wide river is a great challenge.

Another great challenge is the 3 miles wide Batang Lupar river that is known to have frequent tidal bore. There are many other rivers along the north coastline that challenge the road building along the coastline to connect all the towns and cities.

This also making Sarawak as one of the state with most airport in Malaysia. The major airport are Kuching International Airport, while the smaller airports are Miri Airport, Sibu Airport and Bintulu Airport. There are also minor airports scattered around deep inland like the Mukah Airport, Mulu Airport, Bario Airport, Kapit Airport, Marudi Airport, Lawas Airport, Limbang Airport and many more.

Sarawak being the biggest state in Malaysia and full of natural resources is in desperate need for upgrades of the current infrastructure in order to grow and compete with other parts of Malaysia. It is predicted that the economy will grow as much as eight times its present level when the Pan Borneo Highway is completed in 2030.

Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformation Plan (SETP)

The Sarawak state government has formulated the Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformation Plan (SETP) covering a period of 15 years, starting this year until 2030.

The main purpose of this plan is to ensure Sarawak achieves a high income and developed status by 2030. It covering all sectors of the economy including the development and introduction of roads, airports, ports, water, electricity, telecommunications, information and technology (ICT), healthcare, and education infrastructures.

This plan will minimized the developmental discrepancies between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, so that Malaysia as a whole can work together towards a developed nation in the near future.

The plan will be executed in phases starting with the 11th Malaysian plan. The Pan Borneo Highway Project is one of the keystone in achieving the Socio-Economic Transformation.

Pan Borneo Highway was long been a Great Dream

The origins of a planned trunk road connecting the expansive states of Sarawak and Sabah with Brunei in between date back to the 1960s when it was known as the Trans-Borneo Highway. Since then the connecting trunk roads are build gradually.

As of 2002, about 95.2% (997.18 kilometres) of the highway has been completed. However most of its federal route still mainly a 2-lane single carriageway of JKR R3 standard design.

Travel across the vast state of Sarawak continues to be a long journey – up to 19 hours from Sematan to Miri currently.

To improve connectivity, an imminent upgrades need to take place, and hence the Pan Borneo Highway project takes off.

The great dream takes off

The Pan Borneo Highway was first announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in April 2013 as part of Barisan Nasional’s manifesto during the 13th General Election and it was later formalised in Budget 2015.

The Pan Borneo Highway project was devided into multiple phases and upgrading sections. The entire project, estimated to cost RM29 billion, is expected to be completed in 2023.

The Sarawak portion of the highway project will involve the upgrading of 779km of single carriageway to dual carriageway and construction of many new bridges across rivers and flyovers/interchanges.

The Pan Borneo Highway project had been devided into 11 packages.

At current stage, three packages have been launched between Sept 15 last year and April 17 this year. They have started the construction of the highway between Telok Melano and Sematan, Serian roundabout to the Pantu junction and the Bintangor junction to Sungai Kua Bridge.

The Current Environmental and Social Economic Effect of Pan Borneo Highway Project

The Pan Borneo Highway project takes off with a great momentum. A maga project is never being simple. It is like a great bulldozers grazing over the landscape, moving away hills and filling up valleys. So how does it actually happen ?

Along the existing trans Borneo roads, there have been many developed houses, villages, farmlands and infrastructure, which is very close to the trunk road.

Furthermore the existing trunk roads are not straight, they had been curve around hills and valleys. To have a straighten roads may means moving hills and flattening valleys which involve in massive sum of money.

These challenge the upgrade of the carriageway. Upgrading the roads from 2 lane to 4 lane doesn’t means just adding an extra lane each side. In order to have a effective high speed carriageway, winding roads must be straighten. The effort of straightening them effectively cause the expansion of work area 3 or more times its initial area. This also causing many of the preexisting road side structure to be removed.

The initial aim for expansion is to remove non-residential structure in the vicinity of the projects, including residential gates and gardens. However the upgrades also pushing the trunk edge dangerously close to the residential doorstep. Hence many had to abandon their home and rebuilt it at different location. Mostly affected are scattered independent farm housing that is not properly planned initially.

At some area where major changing of landscaping (removing hills along the highway) and earthworks to build the dual carriageway is required, houses and farms are removed. House owners in these area  received compensation or ex-gratia payments and are advised to move out and vacate the area as soon as possible to avoid any future complications. It is clearly seen along the Serian-Pantu Junction road where many houses are evacuated and demolished.

Even landmarks structure are not spared. The durian landmark of Serian are force to relocated in the wheel of development of the Pan Borneo Highway.

Some of the schools, clinics and religious buildings are spared from destruction, however some of the non building structures like gates and fence are relocated. With a 4 lane double carriageway highway, there are limitation for pedestrian crossings.

Many trees and area are clear off in the way of the highway projects. Exposed earth and bare lands is now a common scene along the highway project. Road users are advised to be careful while driving as there may be detour to the existing roads.

Pan Borneo Highway Project in the Long Run

In the long run, all this limitations will be offset by a greater benefit from the economy and connectivity, as the motto sounds “Efficient Connections”.

It reduce the numbers of sharp curves and winding road, which increase safety during travel. Shorter and smoother highway will allow road travel to be faster across Northern Borneo.

It is a toll free highway in Malaysia, and this will have added benefit for lower cost of transportation in the long run.

So lets us anticipate the completion of the Pan Borneo Highway by 2030 and successful socioeconomic transformation to the Northern Borneo Economic Corridor.

For more recent updates, please stay tune on the official Pan Borneo Highway website : http://www.panborneo.com.my/