PETALING JAYA: It is a new year but motorists in Petaling Jaya still have to put up with the same old problem of terrible road condition.
Roads in numerous parts of the city are uneven at best, and potholed and dangerous to motorcyclists at worst. While some are because of ongoing public works projects, others are the result of bad patch-up job by contractors hired by utility companies.
Commuters and other road users who traverse the city’s roads, including Jalan Kemajuan, have long complained about the poor condition of the roads in those areas.
However, relief is partly at hand as the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has issued a temporary stop-work order to the PJ North sewerage system project developer Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd.
MBPJ Engineering Department director Ismail Shafie said the developer was informed to address all the problems caused by the project to the affected roads.
“Roads that were damaged by the project which resulted in uneven surfaces must be repaired.
“The stop-work order will only be lifted once the council is satisfied with the repair work,” he said.
The project is mostly taking place in Section 14, Sea Park and Sungai Way.
Residents and road users are irked by the damage caused to the road surface since the project started in October 2013. The extensive project, which consists of installing underground sewerage pipes, had also led to slower traffic flow and worse congestion at the affected areas such as Jalan Kemajuan.
A Mangkubumi spokesman said the problems would be rectified fast.
“However, work cannot be completely halted at certain project site because to do so could endanger motorists. We need a few days to finish up some of the important works.
“In the meantime, we are working on the repair works and hope it will be completed within 10 days.” he said.
The spokesman said once the repairs were done, MBPJ would be invited for a site inspection.
The project involves the designing and building of sewerage works at the Penchala Pantai North sewerage treatment area and upgrading of the 40-year-old system in north Petaling Jaya.
Upgrading works consisted of the rationalisation and decommissioning of 119 multi-point sewerage treatment plants, including communal septic tanks in some areas.
Five new pump houses will be built at various parts of the pipeline to channel the sewage flow into the Pantai Regional Sewerage Treatment Plant 2 (STP).
The project is under the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.
Mangkubumi is responsible for the laying of 36km of new sewer pipelines via pipe jacking and open-cut methods in PJ North.
They will also upgrade pipes in Sections 11 to 19, 20 (Taman Paramount), 21 (Sea Park), 22, 51A, SS2, SS9 and SS9A and SS1 Kampung Tunku.
Once the project is completed, those areas will be connected to the Pantai Regional STP2, with a 1.4 million population equivalent capacity via the Petaling Jaya main sewerage system.
With the decommissioning of the 119 STPs, it is expected that some of these areas will become green areas in the future, while reducing the pollution in Sungai Penchala.
Other benefits include reducing the malodour for residents, especially for those living near the STPs.
