JKR reviewing pavement condition assessment report before starting repairs on East-West Highway

The public works department (JKR) is reviewing the final report of the pavement condition assessment (PCA) for the planning of road repair works, including those for critical routes such as the East-West Highway (JRTB), reported Bernama.

The PCA is essential for identifying damaged pavement sections and to determine the most suitable maintenance methods to ensure that available allocations were used optimally, said JKR director-general Datuk Roslan Ismail.

For the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the JRTB, the PCA has been conducted since March 13 using advanced technologies such as the Multi Laser Profiler and the Falling Weight Deflectometer. We began the assessment earlier this year, and it is now in its final stage,” said Roslan.

Based on the PCA report, the department will use the existing allocation of RM55 million for repair works, and if that sum is insufficient, the department will apply for additional funding. Meanwhile, it is impossible to repair the entire route in a short period due to the high costs and potential disruption to other infrastructure projects, he added.

The 215 km-long JRTB has been identified as a strategic route that is frequently damaged due to weather conditions and heavy traffic, and the JKR director-general emphasised that any road repair works would be carried out prudently to avoid overlaps or interference with other ongoing development project, according to the report.

Earlier this month, works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said that an allocation of RM55 million will be used to improve the East-West Highway (JRTB) this year. Key sections of the highway have been identified for upgrading, including the site of the bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students.

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