KOTA KINABALU: A collapsed wooden bridge in Keningau has cut off direct access for several interior villages, forcing residents to endure more than an hour of travel just to reach town for work, school and medical needs.
The decades-old structure, which had shown signs of deterioration for years, gave way after a lorry crossed it, severing the original 15-minute route and disrupting daily routines for hundreds of villagers.
Residents are now relying on an alternative route via Jalan Baginda to Binaung, turning a short drive into a journey of more than an hour — even longer during traffic congestion. A temporary backup access through Kota Ayangan was also damaged by recent floods, leaving villagers with limited options.
A villager who only wished to be known as Bonn said the collapse has created major difficulties for families who depend on the road daily.
“They have to use the long alternative route just to go to town for daily essentials, work, school or medical treatment,” he said when contacted.
“I sincerely hope authorities will take immediate action to build a new bridge. I feel very sorry for the villagers who depended on the old bridge as their main route.”
He said the community has been affected since Oct 16 with no action taken so far.
“Children going to school now have to take the long way through Jalan Baginda, and some even take risks (walking on the collapsed bridge) because of the situation,” he added, naming affected institutions including SK Tuarid Taud, SK Luagan, SMK Keningau 2, SMK Gunsanad and SM St Francis Xavier Keningau.
Bonn estimated that Kampung Tigot has over 80 families, totalling about 700 to 800 villagers.
“The alternative road we are using now is around 20km, not including traffic jams,” he said, adding that most residents travel by car and the nearest school is about 2km away.
He said neighbouring Kampung Baginda and Kampung Binaong are also affected, as villagers there use the same route to go to work and avoid congestion.
Meanwhile, Keningau Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Youth Chief, Rafie Robert, in a statement Tuesday (Nov 4), said he visited the site to assess the collapsed bridge and monitor the temporary access route currently being used by villagers.
He said Keningau JKR has since called in the lorry owner believed to have caused the incident, who has agreed to fund the reconstruction of the bridge through an insurance claim.
JKR is currently processing the documentation and has apologised for the difficulties faced by affected villagers.
Rafie added that residents also thanked a landowner who allowed part of his property to be used as a temporary route while waiting for the bridge to be rebuilt.
He said residents from Kampung Kota Ayangan, Kampung Tigot and Kampung Baginda continue to urge for swift action to restore safe access.
Keningau, located in Sabah’s interior region about 105km south of Kota Kinabalu, is one of the state’s major rural hubs and agricultural districts.
