The tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan, or Rancangan Malaysia Ketiga Belas (RMK13) by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament today has revealed plans for the upgrading of highways and roads nationwide, as part of the government’s plan and budget for the next five years until 2030.
Upgrading works will be carried out on a number of highways, including the PLUS highway for the Senai Utara – Machap stretch in Johor, and the Juru – Sungai Dua stretch in Pulau Pinang, as well as the construction of the Lebuhraya Lingkaran Tengah Utama (Central Spine Road) in Pahang and Kelantan.
Roads in rural areas will also be given attention, with the upgrading and construction of 2,800 km of rural roads to be carried out as part of the 13th Malaysia Plan. This will include the main route from Nanga Serau to Nanga Seranau in Kapit, Sarawak, the route from the Sungai Air Tawar bridge to Hutan Melintang in Bagan Datuk, Perak, as well as in Pos Sinderut in Lipis, Pahang.
Meanwhile, RMK13 also sees the inclusion of the road-to-rail initiative that is aimed at shifting rail use for cargo from 6% to 13%, while at the same time aiming to reduce the risk of road accidents involving road freight.