Access road to KIA southern zone expected completion within this month, says Kota Sentosa rep

KUCHING (July 3): The access road to the southern zone of Kuching International Airport (KIA) is almost completed, said Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap.

When updating the public on the status of its work progress, Yap said the physical progress of the project was at 95 per cent as of June 25.

Having been briefed by Public Works Department (JKR) Kuching Divisional Engineer Wang Say Kwang during a meeting yesterday, Yap in a statement highlighted the remaining works and their targeted completion dates.

“Road A/D Junction: 300 metres of road widening works are in progress and are targeted for completion by July 7; Road A (Sungai Kuap Bridge Approaches): 750 metres of road base construction from CH3+200 to CH3+950 is ongoing and targeted for completion by July 21; and Street Lighting, Substation and Traffic Light: Following verification of the substation platform by Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) this week, all electrical systems will be energised, with all related works scheduled for completion by July 31,” he said.

A critical component of this project involves the Underpass Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) system, which requires relocation of the existing AGL to a new vertical profile that complies fully with stringent aviation safety standards and, this includes raising 13 rows of AGL poles along the aircraft approach flight path, Yap said.

He added that due to the high level of technical complexity and safety considerations, this work required approvals from the Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd (MASB); Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) Kuching Office and; CAAM Division of Air Navigation Services and Aerodrome (ANSA) Kuala Lumpur.

“I am pleased to inform that the final approval from the CAAM Division of ANSA Kuala Lumpur was officially granted via email on July 1, 2025.

“This approval marks a significant milestone, enabling the contractor to proceed with the remaining AGL works and, the contractor has indicated that they will require approximately one month to complete these activities,” said Yap.

In line with the highest safety precautions, he said the road can only be opened to public use after the completion of the scheduled Flight Testing Window from this Sept 21 to 26, which is necessary to ensure that all airfield safety systems are fully operational and certified.

Yap said he has requested JKR to supervise and monitor the project contractor closely, now that all regulatory approvals have been secured, to ensure that all outstanding works are completed in a timely manner.

“I would like to ask for the patience and understanding of all road users and residents, as these final steps are critical to uphold aviation safety and public safety. It is our shared priority to ensure the road is opened safely for public use by the end of September 2025.

“I wish to extend my appreciation to JKR, all relevant agencies, the contractor, and stakeholders for their cooperation and commitment to the successful delivery of this important infrastructure project that will benefit the people of Kuching and Sarawak,” he concluded.