Miri’s landslide-prone roads on Canada Hill set for RM30 million rebuild in 2027

MIRI, Sept 6 — A RM30 million special allocation has been approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to reconstruct Jalan Canada Hill to the Grand Old Lady here, and the access road to Kampung Padang Kerbau, with construction expected to kick off next year.

According to State Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, the project is currently at the consultancy assessment and design stage, with the final engineering solution to be determined after detailed assessments by appointed consultants and professional engineers.

He said the project would involve the reconstruction and possible widening of the roads, although the exact engineering approach had yet to be finalised due to the challenging terrain and recurring landslides in the area.

“At the moment, we cannot determine what method will ultimately be used to improve the affected sections, including whether the road foundation needs to be reconstructed and the road widened, or whether a bridge structure needs to be built at certain sections.

“All these decisions can only be made after the professional design is completed.

“We do not know exactly how they will do it. They may build foundations at some sections, construct bridges at others, or adopt another method.

“Everything depends on the engineers’ design,” he said during an inspection of Canada Hill on Friday.

Lee explained that the conditions along the affected roads were challenging and could not simply be addressed through conventional road repair methods.

He said should landslides recur after the repairs, the affected sections would have to be dealt with again, underscoring the need for a professional engineering design.

However, Lee stressed that immediate action would still be taken to address dangerous sections while awaiting implementation of the RM30 million reconstruction project.

The Senadin assemblyman said the Jalan Canada Hill-Grand Old Lady was under the responsibility of Miri City Council (MCC) for maintenance and upkeep.

“However, as the landslide-affected sections have deteriorated, I have asked the Public Works Department to prepare an estimate (quotation) first, after which the relevant road management committee will decide whether emergency funding can be sought to repair the affected sections,” he said.

Lee said the road leading to the Petroleum Science Museum was particularly challenging and should not be treated as a routine road maintenance issue.

He added that the city council had previously received complaints and carried out repairs on some landslide-affected sections, but several of the repaired areas subsequently deteriorated.

“Therefore, I have asked the Public Works Department to assist and expedite emergency funding to address the more dangerous sections first,” he said. —- The Borneo Post