An ART construction error damaged an 850mm water main along Jalan Tun Jugah on Aug 13, affecting supply to about 20,000 users. The pipe had been moved to a new alignment before piling began, but the contractor reportedly failed to distinguish the old route from the live one. Sarawak Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi said consultants, engineers and contractors had been told to tighten site supervision, with work stoppage possible if negligence continued to disrupt the public. [image: 1786583362057-art-pipe.jpg] Photo: TVS What residents should take from this This article records the Aug 13 incident; it is not a live outage notice. People finding the page later should check Sarawak Water's current advisories before assuming their area is still affected. At the time, agencies were instructed to prepare enough water tankers for affected communities. For any future construction-related disruption, residents should note the exact address, the time supply stopped and whether neighbouring streets are affected when filing a report. That makes it easier to distinguish a local pipe issue from a wider supply problem. The bigger accountability issue is underground-utility mapping. Moving a pipe is not enough if drawings, site markings and contractor briefings are not updated together. The promised tighter supervision should therefore be judged by whether repeat strikes stop, not only by how quickly one break is repaired. Incident location: Jalan Tun Jugah, Kuching Reported impact: About 20,000 users Sources: TVS report · Sarawak Water official site

Santubong’s ART route is moving into early works, with a dedicated second bridge planned across the Santubong River. [image: 1784347505208-santubong-art.jpg] Preliminary work will start with tree relocation before major construction begins next year. Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the project will be done in phases. The plan covers the ART corridor from beyond the existing Santubong Bridge towards Damai, plus a new Santubong Bridge for ART use. What changes on the road Sultan Tengah Road is also set to be upgraded from two lanes into a dual carriageway. The ART lane will run in the middle, while the outer lanes are meant for motorcycles and bicycles. Dr Abdul Rahman said the first phase covers the stretch from the Yayasan Sarawak Roundabout to the existing Santubong Bridge. After that comes the new bridge. Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) and SEDC will handle the tree relocation work, expected to take six to eight months. Out of 1,720 trees identified, 536 are suitable to be transplanted. Location: Santubong / Damai corridor, Kuching North Details: ART corridor, second Santubong Bridge, Sultan Tengah Road upgrade, tree relocation Source: DayakDaily What do you think?