KULAI: The rising diesel prices due to the Middle East conflict may cause delays in roadworks nationwide, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan.
The Deputy Works Minister said contractors are finding it challenging to proceed with road repairs and the construction of new roads because most of the heavy machinery involved, such as steamrollers and lorries, relies highly on diesel.
“I have received several requests from contractors asking for a time extension and project slowdowns, including activating half of their machinery.
“For example, they have 10 machines on-site and they want to activate only five,” he said after meeting with the Kulai Public Works Department (JKR) yesterday.
“Officially, the government cannot allow them to stop work because this will cause delays, but I will bring up the matter for post-Cabinet discussions this week,” he said.
He also estimated that more than one-third of the 855 ongoing projects handled by his ministry, including roadworks and infrastructure works across 28 ministries, would face delays as a result of the Middle East conflict.
On a separate matter, Ahmad, who is also Pontian MP, said the Sungai Pulai Bridge is structurally sound for public usage despite having identified 10 spots with soil subsidence due to peat soil conditions.
“The bridge remains under the responsibility of the developer, and I have instructed them to expedite repair works using a fast-track approach to resolve the issue by this year.
“I also told them that the bridge should remain open with partial lane closures throughout the repairs. The 7.5km route, including the 3km-long bridge, is an important link for people travelling between Gelang Patah and Tanjung Bin,” he added.
Ahmad said he went to the site with the district officer, PWD and the bridge developer on Sunday evening, a day after Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi highlighted the issue on social media.
Onn Hafiz said a PWD audit found soil subsidence exceeding 300mm in less than six months after the bridge was opened on Jan 18, 2023.
He said the main cause was unstable soil structure and the use of the expanded polystyrene system construction method, which he believed was unsuitable for this particular site.
