About 50 percent of the overtaking lanes along the 2,000-km Pan Borneo highway is expected to be completed by 2016 via a new application, said Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.     

He said the new method would also expedite the construction of the highway, linking Sarawak and Sabah, from the scheduled completion in 2025 at a cost of over RM22 billion.     

"Currently the ministry has a method that enables us to expedite such projects, especially in congested and accident-prone areas, either by widening or straightening the roads and build overtaking lanes in hilly areas frequently used by heavy vehicles.            

"We hope that by 2016, at least 50 per cent of the overtaking lanes in this highway will be ready," he told reporters after officiating the Muar Umno Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri Wings general meeting at Parit Jawa, Muar yesterday.     

Also present was Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Razali Ibrahim, who is also Muar Umno division chief.       

In the Peninsular, he said, the Works Department was in the process of improving the federal roads besides maintaining them to ensure they were safe for use.       

He said the ministry was also giving attention to slopes and to ensure that prevention measures were being taken to avoid landslides along the federal roads.         

The Public Private Partnership Unit of the Prime Minister's Department was also reviewing the recommendations by a private company to build the Senawang-KL International Airport (KLIA) shortcut to solve traffic congestion at the North South Highway (PLUS) near Seremban, he said.      

He said the ministry was currently studying the proposal from the technical aspects.     

- Bernama