Sandakan - Lahad Datu Pan Borneo Highway: A Socioeconomic Catalyst For Local Population

SANDAKAN, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- The 18.125-kilometre Pan Borneo Highway stretch from Jalan Segaliud to Batu 32, Sandakan, completed in August 2023, has significantly improved the efficiency of the road network on Sabah’s east coast while boosting the socio-economic development of local communities.

A trader at the Agro Bazar at Batu 32, Nur Farhanah Ali, in her 30s, said that since the completion of the highway, traffic flow in the area has become much smoother, with congestion now a thing of the past.

She added that the construction of the elevated interchange connecting Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau has not only organised traffic movement but also created new income opportunities for small traders.

“Many road users now stop by the Agro Bazar stalls here compared to before the highway was built. Its construction has provided us small traders with a better source of income,” she told Bernama today.

For Sapinah Abdullah, 50, the strategic design of the highway, including the entrance to Agro Bazar, has made it easier for motorists to stop, rest, and purchase local products.

“There are many positive impacts for us traders here. The delivery of goods is also smoother now. Before the Pan Borneo Highway, deliveries were often delayed due to damaged roads,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) Deputy Superintendent (Engineer) Mohd Annafi Abu Bakar said the Segaliud-Batu 32 Road project cost RM268.55 million.

It involved upgrading the road to a two-lane dual carriageway, constructing the Segaliud River Bridge, a pedestrian bridge for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Segaliud, as well as nine U-turns and 132 street lights, he said.

He said the new elevated interchange has eased vehicle movement in and out of the area, reducing congestion and cutting travel time by 15 to 20 minutes.

“The Batu 32 intersection used to be a major congestion point, especially during peak hours, with the movement of oil and palm oil lorries. But since the project’s completion, traffic flow has improved considerably,” he said.

In Lahad Datu, chicken trader Rosli Salleh, 64, who operates his business on the Pan Borneo Jalan Lahad Datu Bypass, said he has also benefited greatly from the project.

“I’m very grateful because this route really saves time. Previously, it could take up to an hour to deliver chicken to customers due to traffic jams, but now it only takes about 30 minutes,” he said.

JKR engineer Hadi Hamzah said the Lahad Datu Bypass project, spanning 6.775 kilometres, serves as an alternative route that helps avoid congestion in the town centre while saving travel time.

Completed in July last year at a cost of RM91 million,  the route has also facilitated the smoother movement of agricultural and industrial products, as well as export goods, from the east coast of Sabah to Lahad Datu Port and Sandakan Port.

-- BERNAMA