By Aida Aziz
IPOH: The Engineering Department of the Ipoh City Council (MBI) has directed the project consultants to conduct a detailed study regarding the road surface damage issue on the Meru-Klebang connecting road, here.
The Mayor of Ipoh, Datuk Rumaizi Baharin, stated that the recent road surface damage was caused by underground water flow that damaged the road’s subgrade and sub-base structure.
“This condition caused the previous road pavement to be unable to withstand the axle load, resulting in damage to the road surface.
“It was detected last September and repair actions were taken at that time by installing a subsoil drainage system in some affected sections to divert the underground water flow to the existing drainage system,” he said.
He made the statement to reporters after chairing the Full Council Meeting for December here today.
Rumaizi added that the second repair work was carried out last October by adding subsoil drainage at several other locations.
However, he noted that continuous rain in early December caused the underground water flow to increase, weakening a significant portion of the subgrade and sub-base layers along a 35-meter stretch.
“Indirectly, this condition has made the road surface more vulnerable and prone to damage.
“The road project was fully completed last August and the contractor will carry out repair work on this road structure under a 12-month defect liability period,” he added.
Previously, the media reported that the shortcut road connecting Bandar Meru Raya with Klebang, built at a cost of RM7.2 million, had experienced damage within just five months of its opening.
Quoting from the report, the condition of the road, especially leading to Klebang from the Meru Raya direction, raises questions about how such a situation could have occurred and has caused concern among the local residents.
