IPOH, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- The state government has assured that the North-South Expressway (PLUS) route near KM263.6, southbound towards the Meru-Ipoh Utara (Menora) Tunnel, is now safe after the area experienced slope erosion on Sept 11.
Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Transport Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said that authorities have carried out immediate and continuous monitoring, along with mitigation measures, to ensure traffic safety at all times.
"Motorists are assured that travel along the route is safe, following prompt action by PLUS and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), which covered the affected slope with waterproof sheeting and diverted rainwater. The route was reopened safely within less than 24 hours.
"The waterproof sheeting was installed to prevent rainwater from continuing to seep in and soften the soil structure in the event of subsequent rain," he said during a visit to the site of the erosion, here today.
Yesterday, Perak police chief Alwi Zainal Abidin announced that the left lane at the landslide site would be closed to facilitate the installation of safety cones over a one-kilometre stretch from KM262.8 to KM263.8.
On long-term safety measures, Mohammad Nizar said PLUS is currently drafting proposals for slope structure reinforcement as well as the installation of steel netting in high-risk areas.
He said satellite monitoring in collaboration with the Public Works Department (JKR) may also be employed to detect rock or soil movement more quickly with greater accuracy, adding that this method was previously used during the landslide in Blue Valley (Pahang).
"We are also proposing the installation of 24-hour CCTV cameras at strategic locations and increased frequency of patrols by PLUS in high-risk areas," he said.
He attributed the slope erosion to weather factors, noting that rainfall had been unusually high at 65 millimetres (mm), compared with the usual level of around 40 mm.
"So perhaps the resilience of the trees at that location was somewhat weak, causing them to fall and trigger the erosion," he said.
-- BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
