ALOR STAR: The new road initiative linking Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) and Sadao ICQS in southern Thailand is expected to be ready soon.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said this following the work visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Sadao ICQS yesterday under the invitation from the latter's counterpart Srettha Thavisin.
"The governments of Malaysia and Thailand have reached a fundamental agreement over the design alignment and related technical issue, so that this project will be rolled out to ensure that the connectivity between both countries could be improved.
"The network of this connecting road comprised a two-way six-lane main road (K3-3) spanning 900 metres with U5 standard and a 300-metre service road," he said in a statement today.
He said that the project will also involve land acquisition, the demolition and building Border Regiment Camp Quarters Block (5RS) and several security structures such as Final Security Post and Security Gates affected by the road alignment.
"The Works Ministry is confident that with the construction of the new road, the comfort and the safety of the road users will be improved inline with MyJalan Campaign aspiration.
"At the same time, this new road is expected to spur economic activities in both countries," he said.
Yesterday, Anwar announced that Malaysia and Thailand have agreed to resolve pending issues at the border checkpoints in Sadao and Bukit Kayu Hitam in the next two weeks.
He was reported as saying that the matter was agreed during a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Srettha Thavisin in Sadao yesterday.
Anwar added that both countries have agreed to set the time frame in order to resolve the pending issues in order to improve the traffic flow at the border checkpoints.
