Lee (right) observes the traffic flow at the improved road bend at Jalan Puchong and the junction of Jalan Tanjung/ Medical Store.
MIRI (March 11): Motorists can now experience smoother and safer traffic flow along the sharp bend at Jalan Puchong, adjacent to Jalan Tanjung/Medical Store junction, as the improvement works carried out on the particular stretch of road was completed last January.
Minister of Transport, Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the sharp bend, which was identified as an accident prone area, has been fully improved to give better balance to vehicles passing through the bend.
“We improved the road gradient and also put up a yellow box at the intersection to enable vehicles from town area to turn into Jalan Medical Store easily and lessen the traffic congestion here,” he told reporters when visiting the site this morning.
Also present during the visit was the Public Work Department (JKR) Miri engineer Chong Chi Fam, representatives of Miri City Council (MCC) as well as local councillors.
The whole project, which cost RM890,000, also included widening and resurfacing works, installation of an amber light at the yellow box as well as implementation of three solar street lights.
Works on the project started on Nov 25 last year and was fully completed on Jan 5 this year.
“This was an accident prone area due to the sharp bend and dangerous road gradient, so we have fixed it by increasing the side of the road a little, to give more balance to vehicles when they go through the particular stretch.
“Since its completion in January until today, we have not recorded any accident cases here. Our main concern has always been the safety of road users,” he stressed.
He added that the government will continue to improve roads throughout the city as well as its safety aspects, to ensure that they do not pose a danger to road users.
During the visit, he also asked JKR to carry out resurfacing work on Jalan Tanjung/Medical Store to smoothen out parts of the roads which were not level and could be dangerous, especially to motorcyclists.
Meanwhile, Lee disclosed that all traffic light systems throughout the city would be upgraded to ‘smart traffic lights’ under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
“It is an ongoing process, until all the traffic lights throughout the city are fully upgraded,” he said.
Lee said the smart traffic light uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect traffic flow and would help reduce traffic congestion.
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