KUALA Lumpur-Karak Expressway concessionaire Anih Bhd has activated a contraflow lane along the stretch of the highway which was closed due to a sinkhole since 10am today.

The company, in a social media posting on Facebook and Twitter, said the contraflow lane has been activated from KM65.9 to KM67.9 for Kuala Lumpur-bound traffic.

“Road users are advised to stay alert and adhere to the speed limit and instructions of officers at the location,” it said.

Preliminary investigations revealed the sinkhole at KM66.1 was caused by the construction of an underground tunnel for East Coast Rail Link.

However, the Kuantan-bound lane was reopened late last night.

Meanwhile, the owner of ECRL, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) in a statement emphasised that there were no signs of stress or collapse of the ECRL tunnel structure located beneath KM-61 of the KLK.

“We would like to specifically highlight that the Bentong Tunnel 2 has remained intact despite the sinkhole incident.

“Furthermore, we want to clarify that the soil settlement at the tunnel face area, which occurred on Tuesday evening, was an isolated incident and has since been rectified,” the statement said. 

MRL said the tunnel is structurally safe for construction works to resume and they will continue to prioritise safety awareness and identify potential hazards at the work site.

MRL in collaboration with the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contractor CCC-ECRL conduct a thorough and detailed investigation, with findings and proposed recommendations, if any, to be provided. – Bernama, July 27, 2023.