A BRIDGE on the Pan Borneo Highway at Sarawak’s southern tip is, perhaps, the first in the country to have a dedicated animal crossing.

The 270m link over Sg Samunsam, located in a wildlife sanctuary named after the river, was built with the highly endangered proboscis monkey in mind. It is one of six bridges on a 32.77km stretch of the highway between Telok Melano and Sematan.

Given that a third of the dual carriageway alignment is within the sanctuary, the state Forestry Department imposed specific conditions on its construction.

Lebuhraya Borneo Utara (LBU), the highway’s Sarawak project delivery partner, designed an oversized culvert to allow the monkeys, as well as other species, to cross the river.

The main work package contractor, Samling Resources, was required to construct the road in a greenfield area crossing six rivers and swamps, and could only work between 7am and 5pm so as to not disturb wildlife in the sanctuary.

To prevent light pollution, the bridge has minimal street lights, only where they are “deemed necessary for the safety of human road users”, said LBU.

“The proposed lighting for the Sg Samumsan bridge was omitted, to comply with the Forestry Department’s requirements.

“However, other safety features to provide sufficient lighting at night were provided, as recommended by road safety consultants.”

The Forestry Department, in the project’s environmental impact assessment report, said there should be no power lines and poles in the sanctuary, with all cables to be laid underground.

Only water pipes are allowed above ground, but these must be covered and have “regular spacing” to allow animals to pass through.

The Telok Melano-Sematan stretch is the only completed section of the Pan Borneo Highway in the state.

Construction began in October 2015 and was completed on January 4 this year.

The stretch has shortened a two-hour boat journey to just 30 minutes by road. – April 1, 2019.