After getting approval from Putrajaya, an RM320 million road upgrade project in interior Sabah that was supposed to commence four years ago will finally get underway this month.

The project was approved by the economic planning unit (EPU) under the second rolling plan of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) in 2017, but was postponed, according to Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup.

“The project involves the upgrading of the roads in Sook in Keningau to Linayukan in Tongod and will also cross into Pensiangan and Kinabatangan.

“The project will now be continued under the 12MP and will take 36 months to complete,” he said in a statement.

The 40-kilometer road network, which includes the construction of seven new bridges, would serve 19 villages between Sook and Tongod, according to Kurup. The route will reduce travel time between the two districts once it is completed.

The new infrastructure, he said, would foster the development of the local agriculture and tourism sectors, with locals in Keningau, Sook, and Tongod bearing the brunt of the economic impact.

“Besides this, the upgrading work to turn the roads into sealed stretches will also lower the routine maintenance cost borne by the government.

“This shows the federal government is making an effort to prepare better roads in order to connect interior areas in Sabah so that balanced development can be enjoyed by the people,” Kurup added.