Officiating at its soft launching was Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah who pointed out that it would be the first of the five along the Kuching – Samarahan Expressway to be completed.

“We are converting the five roundabouts here into traffic light intersections for smoother traffic flows both ways. I have been told works on the four others are proceeding smoothly and will be ready by the year end,” he said.

Following the operation of the traffic light intersection, he said he was confident in the contractor’s capability to finish the project.

Uggah said that the state government’s target for the remaining four to be completed is on Jan 10 next year.

He thus commented that the completion of the first intersection is a very positive development as he has seen this morning how it had helped to assist in smoother traffic flows.

“The people who use the road daily are eagerly awaiting this and the completion of the other four. I know in the last few days the traffic volume along the expressway had been very heavy leading to very bad jams.

“This is because some roads had to be closed to facilitate the upgrading process, so I must thank the users for their patience.

“The public understands as we go to construct the four others, there will be a lot of disruptions and inconveniences. These are inevitable and we are sorry,” he said.

He thus requested that members of the public who use the Kuching – Samarahan Expressway at the moment to bear with the works in installing the traffic light intersections along the expressway.

Uggah also said that those involved in the work to install the traffic light intersections will also do their best to manage the traffice flow along the expressway as well.

He said that the whole upgrading package costing RM72.7 million has been awarded to a rescue contractor known as Glumox Abiz Sdn Bhd after the first contractor failed to perform as expected.

Also present during the soft launching of the traffic light intersection at Tabuan Tranquillity were the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development Chiew Chee Yaw, Kota Samarahan Municipal Council chairman Dato Peter Minos and Sarawak Public Works Deparment (Sarawak JKR) director Richard Tajan.