THE long-awaited road that will connect the town of Kapit with Sibu, and break its isolation from the rest of Sarawak, will be completed in August 2020, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said today.

Masing, after attending a development briefing by the Public Works Department, said his hometown on the upper reaches of Sungai Rajang will be connected “once the 9.6km missing link is completed”.

Currently, Kapit is accessible from  Sibu only by river via the ubiquitous fast, steel-hulled express boats.

He said the Song-Kapit stretch is only 11% completed.

Masing was told the upgrading and rehabilitation of the 34km road to the most upstream town on Sungai Rajang, Belaga, is projected to be completed in May 2020.

He was told as the Menjawah-Belaga road also passes by a resettlement area of people affected by the Bakun hydroelectric project, state power company Sarawak Energy Bhd, will connect the settlement and nearby off-grid longhouses along the road to the state grid by drawing electricity from Belaga town or the sub-station at Bakun.

This R1 standard road will have an asphaltic concrete surface 5m wide.

This road project also includes replacement of 57 culverts, earthworks, drainage works and “road furniture”.

Masing said work is “progressing well under the close monitoring of JKR Sarawak”.