Damaged back lane in Kepong Baru set to be upgraded by DBKL

(From left) Tan, Yee and Zulhelmi highlighting part of the damaged stretch of the back lane between Jalan Lang Putih 7 and Jalan Lang Putih 8 in Kepong Baru Tambahan.

THE back lane between Jalan Lang Perut Putih 7 and Jalan Lang Perut Putih 8 in Kepong Baru Tambahan, Kuala Lumpur, will be upgraded by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) by October this year.

Residents said the 150m-long back lane was damaged by Alam Flora rubbish trucks plying the road.

They said DBKL had not taken concrete action despite multiple complaints of the damage on the back lane, until recently.

Wong Kien Kok, 67, a resident of 30 years, said the road was last patched up by DBKL some three to four years ago.

“Patching the road will not fix the underlying issue, namely the fact that this road is unable to bear the weight of an average rubbish truck.

“So we contacted community activist Yee Poh Ping to look into the matter,” he said during a press conference.

During a site visit, StarMetro observed that the back lane was uneven and damaged, and the drain along the Jalan Lang Perut Putih 7 side was filled with debris.

“The debris in the drain comes from soil underneath the road’s asphalt surface that is washed away by the rain, which also results in reduced capacity since the drain is shallow,” said Yee, who was also present.

He added that Alam Flora rubbish trucks used the back lane twice a week to collect domestic waste.

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Tan, 79, hoped that DBKL would proceed with the upgrades as soon as possible.

DBKL’s assistant engineer Zulhelmi Khalid said plans to upgrade the back lane were in progress.

“The road will be resurfaced using a stronger premix for greater durability,” he said.

“The existing drains, which use outdated V-shaped culverts, will be upgraded by DBKL to U-shaped culverts for better water flow and easier maintenance.

“The contractor is expected to be appointed by June through a tender award, and work should begin by July,” said Zulhelmi.

He said the upgrading work was estimated to take two to three months to be completed.

He added that residents who built extensions to their houses reaching up to the back lane would need to demolish those structures to facilitate upgrading works.