SHAH ALAM – The Batang Kali-Genting Highlands road is expected to be open to the public by May next year, as it is scheduled to be completed in March.
Izham Hashim, Selangor’s infrastructure executive councillor, said the slope repair and stabilisation work had reached 38.6% progress so far.
“We started repairing the slopes on May 28, and expect it to be completed on March 29 next year. We will consider reopening the road to Genting Highlands when everything is ready.
“We have also researched the appropriate engineering method, and found that the ‘TerraLink wall system’ design is the most suitable for the conditions of the site (slope), which is quite narrow,” he said, in response to a question from R. Rajiv (Bukit Gasing-DAP) on the status of the Batang Kali landslide tragedy.
In an interview, Izham had previously said that only one lane was currently open, and this was restricted to workers in the Genting Highlands area.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously said that continuous rainfall was the main trigger for the landslide at the Batang Kali campsite, which killed 31 people last year.
The 2.30am tragedy on December 16 claimed the lives of 31 campers, out of a total of 92 victims, after a landslide buried the Father’s Organic Farm camping area in Batang Kali.
The heartbreaking incident saw 18 adults and 13 children perish, with 20 bodies found in Sector A, one in Sector B and another 10 in Sector C in the camp area. – November 17, 2023