Roundabout 3 Before, Major Traffic Lights Junction Now

In 1990, Bintulu had its biggest roundabout at KM 5, Bintulu- Miri Road. The Roundabout was plainly called Roundabout 3. At a corner of the roundabout was located JKR's temporary stock pile area for road and infrastructure construction materials.  An indoor badminton stadium was also built at one end of the state land on which the two facilities were built.

Looking at the place today, the changes is beyond recognition.  That site has been taken up by commercial buildings development undertaken by the private sector.

As at the point of writing the commercial shophouses are ready for occupation.  

As Bintulu moved into its Millenial Growth Era ( i.e. after its last fourth boom) and starting in 2016, the town remains the brightest star in its capacity as Sarawak's prime example of rapid physical development,  socio-economic progress, urban population growth and proper town planning.

Date taken : September, 2021.

 

Date taken : August, 1990.

Jalan Sultan Iskandar 30 years later

Kidurong Highway 30 years later

Aurora Link Road - single to dual carriageway

Abang Galau and a road to his name

Me and Friends  at the road junction of Abang Galau road in 1975.
Note the typical wooden Malay houses prevalent at that time built along the road as seen in the background  and take note too of the tall palm trees in the background .

View of Jalan Abang Galau or Abang Galau Road from the middle portion ( in front of OKMS i.e. Orang Kaya Mohammed School) ) towards the town center.
Photo credits : Tuah, Adi B., Abon R., Daha S., Buding B., Ahip P. & Ritchie,  J. (  ) Dari Kampung Nelayan ke Industriopolis, Pejabat Pentadbiran Bahagian Bintulu, Bintulu.

There is a road that runs parallel to Jalan Mesjid or Mosque Road in Bintulu that was named after a local chieftan named Abang Galau. The  Abang Galau  Road is slightly less than one kilometer in length.  It starts from the Bintulu town centre traffic light junction ( Kepppel Road/ Pedada Road traffic lights junction) and ends close to the Sebiew River.

Abang Galau prominence as a local chieftan  during the days of the Brunei Sultanate's rule over Bintulu was well received by the Brooke's administration (Charles Brooke)  which subsequently endorsed him as the local dignitary to represent the natives community of Bintulu when the Sultan of Brunei ceded the Bintulu region  to the Brookes in 1861.  According to some reports, he is a descendant from the Punan or Orang Ulu  bloodline from the marriage of Pengiran Panji and Kendoh.

View of Jalan Abang Galau taken on 27 May,2016.
Note the hotel and shophouses at  the left of the picture. These new buildings were built under Phase Two of Kampung Dagang Commercial Centre project developed by Hock Peng Realty Sdn Bhd.  The first phase of the re-development of the Malay/Melanau villages along the Abang Galau Road  was undertaken by Bintulu Realty Estate Sdn Bhd. covering an area of 1.44 hectares involving  36 landowners. 

Jalan Abang Galau, taken on 27 May'16.
Note:  For more information on the development of the Kampung Dagang Commercial Centre, please follow this link...>>>http://bintulub4now.blogspot.my/2014/01/jalan-mesjid-at-kampung-dagang-in-1979.html

Abang Galau Road of the 60's.

 This is the section of the road that ends close to the Sebiew River.

In the 60's it was the sight of rubber and fruit tree gardens and Malay/Melanau kampungs or villages.

|The above picture shows Malay/ Melanau men wearing the Malay headress ("Songkok") when attending a wedding reception at a Muslim Melanau's  house beside the Abang Galau Road.

The Kidurong Highway in 1990

The Kidurong highway road in August, 1990.
The road would serve as a main link from Bintulu town centre to Kidurong industrial zone, home to the major industrial projects which help propelled Bintulu into a series of economic booms starting  in 1979. Note the planting of easy or little maintenance and colourful shrubs at the central median.  The main shrubs planted for their colourful bracts are the Bouganvillea and Mussaenda species.

The Kidurong highway road , taken on 4 February, 2014.
Note the planting of Tabebuia rosea trees at the central median which was done in the mid 1990's.  The fully matured huge Angsana trees (Pterocarpus indicus) remains a unique character of Bintulu roadside landscaping which started in a big way in 1980's and continues to present day.

Any visitor who comes into Bintulu town will observe the extent of roadside landscaping done to the town which is not seen in other major towns of Sarawak, except the capital city of Sarawak i.e. Kuching.  The construction of roads infrastructure was critical for a booming town and it was envisioned early in the 1980's that the main roads would be of 4-lane dual carriageways to serve Bintulu's impending future growth and development in population, economic prospects, new townships and industrial zones. It was planned that the dual-carriageways would serve for at least a period of 20 years of continuous growth momentum in the Bintulu economic landscape.   One of the longest highway road linking Bintulu town to the new industrial zone of Kidurong was the Kidurong Highway road which is about 20 kilometers in length. In the 1980's the whole length of the road was planted with roadside trees, mainly the Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) and Rain tree (Samanea saman) species.  Only in the mid 1990's were the central median of the highway planted with the Tabebuia rosea species.  There are many other species of roadside trees planted in Bintulu and to get some idea of the later species planted, please check them out in my blog here...>>>http://mybintuluclicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Roadside%20Trees

The Nyabau fishery station road in 1986

The road leading to Agriculture Department's fishery station - sometimes called Nyabau Fishery Station
Picture taken on 16 February 1981

 The existing Pantai Temasya is located at Tanjung Batu.  Further up Tanjung Batu going north is a place called Nyabau and in the 70's there was fishery station that was popularly visited by students and other interested parties especially for educational visits.  The road leading to the station was not very well maintained and at certain locations was disconnected because of many small streams that transversed it.  Today, a two-lane single carriageway replaces the old fishery station road and is an alternative route to reach Kidurong township by the Tanjung Batu coastal scenic road.  This road extension from Pantai Temasya is a popular beach destination for viewing the Bintulu sunset, family picnics and for many other relaxing activities related to the beach or sea like photography, sightseeing, jogging,etc.

Today a proper 2-lane single carriageway replaces the old earth road. This road is an extension from the Pantai Temasya and passes the Bintulu Golf Course (2nd Nine or Links Course) and leads to the ABF (Asean Bintulu
Fertiliser) housing site.
Date taken : 30 January, 2014.

This new extension road from Pantai Temasya is very well utilised because it provides people staying at the Kidurong township an alternative route to their housing area which is less busy than the main Kidurong highway and offers a much pleasant driving experience with a view of the sea.  This extension road together with the existing one starting at Taman Tumbina and passing the Pantai Temasya may just as well be referred to as "Jalan Pantai Temasya".

Roundabout 3 in 1990

Roundabout 3 - view looking towards Bintulu- Miri Road
Location : The R 3 is located 3 miles ( 5 km)  from Bintulu town centre
Date taken : 14 August,1990

 In 1990 there were four roundabouts in Bintulu.  The picture above shows the Roundabout 3, located at Km 5, Bintulu- Miri Road.  It was the biggest roundabout in Bintulu in the 1990's.  Over time all the four roundabouts were replaced with traffic lights junctions.  The building on top of the hill to the right is located within the Bintulu Police Divisional complex.  The yellow cover at the foreground are the yellow variety leaves of the Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) which was a popular ground cover for landscaping in the 1990's.  In the 1990's the landscaping and beautification of Bintulu were a cooperative effort involving three major agencies..i.e. the JKR (Public Works), SESCO and BDA. 

Traffic Lights junction replaced the roundabout
Picture taken : 28 January, 2014.

Aerial view of Roundabout 3 showing the landscaping works at the roundabout and traffic islands surrounding it.
Date taken : circa 1990
Note the striking yellow colours of the Sweet potato cover plant at the traffic islands surrounding the roundabout.
The roadside planting and roundabouts landscaping during this time were  mainly advised by Arthur George Alphonso, Bintulu's first horticultural consultant....go here to see some other projects George was involved in Bintulu ..>>http://mybintuluhistory.blogspot.com/2007/09/bintulus-first-horticultural-consultant.html

Jalan Mesjid at Kampung Dagang in 1979

Jalan Mesjid in 1979 (Colour photograph)
Picture shows me and my sisters, cousin and nephews posing in front of my car Mazda 323 saloon parked on the right side of the Jalan Mesjid, looking towards the kampung area.
Note the tall 'Pinang' (betel nut) and coconut trees over-topping the kampung houses.

 As part of the multiplier effects of the Bintulu's first economic boom (1979-85) there arose a pressing need for more and better commercial shophouses in Bintulu.  The Kampung Dagang which shared the limit of the town's boundary was sliced for development.  There were two developers involved in the project.  In Phase One, Bintulu Realty Estate Sdn Bhd developed 1.44 hectares of land with 36 landowners.  Phase Two of the project was developed by Hock Peng Realty Sdn Bhd on a 4.12 hectares piece of adjoining land.  The Phase two involved 146 landowners.  As part of the deal in Phase Two of the project, the landowners owned shares in the new shophouses besides receiving cash compensation to help them out in their resettlement expenses.  It was estimated that the Kampung Dagang Commercial development project resulted in about RM 50 million worth of real property and cash compensation to the 182 mainly Malay and Melanau landowners.

Jalan Mesjid taken on 6 January 2014, at the same spot in the top pic .
Today the road is a single carriageway 4-lane street.

Main Bazaar Road in 1975

Main Bazaar Road in 1975
Note the large green space between the two-way street.  Seen are the students of BGSS (Bintulu Government Secondary School) during the Prophet Mohammad's Birthday parade around the town.
The wooden shophouses are made of belian posts, beams and roofing of belian shingles.
Overhead electric posts are gradually replaced with underground cabling.

Main Bazaar Road today, 23 December, 2013.
The road is now turned into a 3-lane one-way street.
Permanent reinforced  concrete four storey buildings replaced old wooden shophouses and ample car parking spaces are provided on the roadsides.  Parking are now charged at hourly rate of 50 sen per hour.

Just years prior to the first boom, there were very few cars in town.  Students who studied at BGSS (Bintulu  Government Secondary School) would either take the bus or ride bicycles to school.  Many Malay and Melanau kampungs dotted the areas immediately around the town.  It was customary for the  Muslim students to celebrate the Prophet Mohammad's Birthday by parading around town (as seen in the top pix). Today the Main Bazaar Road is the main thoroughfare around town.

Tanjung Batu Scenic Road in the late 1980's

The Tanjung Batu Scenic Road - under construction in the late 80's

 One of the major impacts of the first economic boom (1979 - 1983) was the growth of population in the Bintulu town and the new satellite township of Kidurong.  With increased number of temporary and permanent workforce to the town the need for recreational activities grew.  One of the projects undertaken by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) was the construction of beach facilities and a bird's park which was later named Wildlife Park or Taman Hidupan Liar in Malay.  Upon adopting  the masterplan for the development of the Tanjung Batu recreational reserve area in 1985, works on providing improved roads infrastructure to the beach and park areas started in the late 1980's in earnest.  The above picture shows the construction of the Tg. Batu Scenic Road, showing the section going down towards the Aurora Beach Hotel.

Tanjung Batu Scenic Road as seen today....20 December, 2013.

Today the road is a one-lane dual carriageway with a small lane for bicycles and motorcycles incorporated.  The building on the right is Bintulu's first high-rise beach condominium project.  With proper facilities and amenities provided at Tg. Batu recreational reserve area, tourism activities picked up with visitors both domestic and foreign attracted to the beautiful scenery, breeze and many recreational activites at the beach like swimming, picnics,jogging, family gathering or outing, beach games,photography and sunset viewing. Entrance to the beach is free. Visitors especially school children crowd the Wildlife Park especially at weekends and school holidays to see many zoo animals, birds and botanic collections at the park, which is now popularly called "Taman Tumbina" in Malay.

Roundabout Two in mid 1980's

The above roundabout was called Roundabout Two in the 1980's
It was well-landscaped and turfed. The stretch of roadside trees  are Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus)

 In the above picture the white building at the top left corner is the "Dewan Suarah"or civic centre.  The Dewan Suarah was built at the cost of RM 7 million and was opened on 5 July, 1988.

Date taken : 27 September,2013.
In place of the Roundabout Two, the local authority (BDA) introduced the traffic lights junction and was fully operational in early 2012.

When the local authority introduced a traffic lights junction to replace the roundabout, a new dual carriageway was built as alternative route to the Bintulu town ( as seen at the bottom left of the picture).

Bintulu in 1954

Combo picture above shows Bintulu town as seen in 1954 and on 13 October'2013.

There is  certainly a unique appeal in the old Bintulu town.  Despite the expansion of Bintulu to the north in the form of satellite towns of Kidurong and now Similajau, the old town has retained its historical charm.  The town have been re-developed and rejuvenated over a period of more than 30 years due to Bintulu's home-grown economic booms.  As a result of the influx of investment both local and foreign to the town, much physical and infrastructural changes have been enjoyed by the residents, temporary workers and visitors alike.  In 1954, the town consisted of a few blocks of Chinese wooden shophouses, government buildings and quarters and many kampungs or villages occupied by the Malays and Melanaus which are typically located at the edge of the town.

Bintulu town as seen in 1954
Credits : Ho Ah Choon, Sarawak in pictures 1940's - 1970's

 At the right of the picture is shown the first house belonging to the local Melanau people and part of the Kampung Dagang village that starts at the edge of the town going upriver.  There is a series of long jetties from the bank to enable boats and small coastal or riverine vessels to berth during low tide.  The pitched roof wall-less structure at right built on the Kemena river is the fish cum vegetable market.

Bintulu town today, 13 October, 2013.The main highway the runs parallel to the shophouses is the main Bazaar Road.
The tiled open space at the right is part of the Bintulu Espalande area reserved for cultural, events and festivals center.

There is a stark difference between the old town and present Bintulu.  All wooden shophouses have been replaced with permanent concrete ones.  The town has expanded into the previously Malay/Melanau village of Kampung Dagang and the villagers re-settled elsewhere further out of the town vicinity.  There is of course lots of traffic and subsequently air and noise pollution around town.  The existing town retains its appeal as a meeting place for people from the coastal and riverine areas around Bintulu to undertake  business or entrepreneurial activities, obtain weekly provisions, repair machinery and equipments, banking and government matters, social as well as recreational outlets.

SMK to Bintulu town ( 1980's)

Date taken : circa mid 1980's ( Colour photo)

In the 1960's there was a small gravel path road from the Bintulu town that ended at the Bintulu Government Secondary School's (BGSS) junction, seen at left in the picture above. The school is about three miles from Bintulu town. In the early 1970's the road was slightly improved. However it was in the early 1980's that extensive improvement were done that changed the road into a dual carriageway. The school was renamed in Malay as Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Bintulu (SMK Bintulu)

View from school junction to town today.

Date taken : 14 Jan'11 ( Digital - Sony Cyber-shot)

With the fast tempo of development planned for Bintulu starting in the 1980's, traffic to and from town increased tremendously and so was the number of heavy vehicles on the road. Many amenities were added to the carriageway like proper pedestrian and cycle-path, bus shed,central median lighting with underground cabling and a pedestrian overhead bridge for safety and convenience.. The local authority took the opportunity to plant Angsana trees (Pterocarpus indicus) as shade trees in order to create the green wash and aesthetics to urban roads.

Bintulu roads ( Part 3)

View of dual carriageway from SMK Bintulu road junction to R3 ( Roundabout Three)

Date taken : circa early 1980's ( Colour photo)

In the early to mid 1980's, Bintulu roads were upgraded into dual carriageways. The construction of the roads were done by the JKR ( Jabatan Kerja Raya) or the Public works Department. In the above picture, the dual carriageway is provided with central two-arm street lighting posts with underground cabling. This underground cabling was considered a modern feature and was effective for intensive beautification or landscaping works because it allowed trees to grow upwards without being obstructed by overhead cables. The central median is planted with low shrubbery shaped in ornamental form ( topiary). On both sides of the road shoulders, Angsana trees ( Pterocarpus indicus) are planted from stumps to achieve an instant planting result. Towards the right of the picture is shown partly the sign bearing the name 'Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Bintulu' or SMK ( Bintulu Government Secondary School). The school is about three miles from Bintulu town centre.

Date taken : 14 Jan'11 ( Digital Sony-Cybershot)

The tall building at the centre of the picture was completed in 2010. The building called 'Wisma Forego' belonged to a subsidiary of the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA). This building is part of a major commercial and shophousing project undertaken by the BDA and other private developers on previously state land situated on the left of the carriageway towards the newly completed traffic lights junction ( replacing the Roundabout Three).

M O to Roundabout 1 - early 1980's

In the early 1980's the Public Works Department initiated a dual-carriageway road to connect Bintulu town to its newly opened sub-urban towns ( satellite towns ) especially the Kidurong township and the heavy industrialised zone of Kidurong, some 24 kilometers away from the Bintulu town . The funds were available through Federal funding. The start of the Federal road from Bintulu town was popularly called M O ( Mile zero). This view above shows the road from M O leading out of town towards the first roundabout which is today turned into a traffic lights junction. On the left of the picture is shown white railings that are placed on both sides of the wooden bridge that lead to the small Bintulu hospital then. In the picture a car takes a turn at the road junction to enter the Bintulu hospital area. On the right, the BDA-Shahida commercial center is under construction. In the early years of 1980's the local authority have just started to implement roadside planting. The above shows a brave attempt despite the lack of planting materials. But what was evident was the spirit of cooperation and togetherness between government departments there. The local authority proceeded to undertake the roadside tree planting using its own funds and this also covered its maintenance. The spirit was to make Bintulu a welcoming and beautiful town and it did not matter whether the PWD got the funds or not. The local authority was willing to chip in.

... approximately 20 years later ( date taken 25 Nov'10)

Today , roadside trees adorn the dual-carriageway to provide much needed shade and beautification to the town roads. On the left are Rain trees (Samanea saman ) and on the right are the Cabbage trees or sometimes called the Brown heart (Andira inermis ) . The narrow central median is planted with bright yellow Dwarf Pandanus ( Pandanus pygmaeus) as cover plants and sculptured shrubs of the Eugenia oleina interspersed with bright red foliage of the Red Ti ( Coryline terminalis ). The central median planting is topped with the Majestic Palm ( Archontophoenix alexandrae). The white railings are still there but the former hospital has been moved out of town to Nyabau Road, a distance of about 10 kilometers from Bintulu town. Soon this road will be joined by another road ( under construction) from St.Anthony's School to meet at Somerville Road thus providing another short-cut to town. The above picture shows clearly how Bintulu stands apart from other towns in Sarawak because of its early emphasis on town beautification programmes especially roadside landscaping.

Sky Theatre - 1950's

Date taken : circa late 1950's ( B&W photo)

As a young kid and adult growing in Bintulu I have seen the rise and the fall of the cinema entertainment business here especially those buildings purpose-built to project celluloid films on huge theatre white screens. One such institution was the Sky Theatre of which the building is seen on the right of the picture above. The space between the theatre and the wooden shophouses have been taken up by the Hoover Hotel as shown below. The wooden shophouses are gone now. The main road that is seen above is the Keppel Road and is not yet well-paved. Cars are very few indeed and there is ample green space in between the opposite row of wooden shophouses. Life seemed to remain standstill except of course the dramatic experiences shown in the theatre. I have my share of attending films ( including cheap Sunday matinees), acrobatic shows, magic shows, concerts and singing competitions organised in the theatre. The Sky Theatre was owned by a local businessman named Yek Min Ek and was opened for business in the 1950's. The theatre survived for 40 years but with the advent of television in the 1970's and video tapes in the 1980's, the cinema business suffered badly and the theatre met its natural death in the 1990's.

Date taken : 2 Dec'10 ( Digital - Sony cyber-shot)

The original site of the Sky Theatre now houses the 'City Point' building which is owned by the Hock Lee group a company started by Yek Min Ek. In the building there are cineplexes as a sign of continuity in the cinema business and still having popular audience. The wooden shophouses are replaced by permanent ones. The Keppel road now enjoys trappings of modernism like bituminous or tar-sealed road. To encourage smooth traffic flow the local authority decided to make the Kepppel Road a one-way four-lane street complete with traffic lights, pedestrain crossing, tiled street pavements, underground cables for the lamp posts and landscaping.

Bintulu roads ( Part 2)

Date taken : circa early 1980's ( colour photo)

Almost every single visitor in Bintulu in the 1980's right on till the early 2000 will notice this dual carriage highway. The incoming car on the right shows the road going north to the newly-opened up areas of Tanjung Kidurong which was the centre of physical and economic activities in early 1980's with the construction of three massive projects viz the Bintulu Port , the Malaysia Liquefied Natural Gas Plant (MLNG) and the ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser Plant (ABF). These three major economic generator projects created the first boom in Bintulu. The road was like the above through three booms. But beginning last year the road was extensively re-designed from the roundabout to the junction near the Bintulu Divisional Mosque called Masjid Assyakirrin. The popular Angsana trees were planted on both sides of the highway from stumps and still looked lower than the electrical posts.

Date taken : 12 Dec'2010 ( Digital - Sony Cyber-shot)

Today, at the far end of the picture the former roundabout has become a traffic light junction. The dual- carriageway from the traffic junction to the Mosque junction has been altered to become a three-lane carriage way and the Mosque junction fitted with traffic lights thus making the central median narrower. Obviously the number of cars have more than quadrupled over the years. The trees have also over-topped the electrical posts. Today Bintulu is in the fourth boom era and the momentum that has developed over three decades of growth has made it able to ride the fourth boom with greater preparedness and gear itself to become an industrialised city by 2020. However, by all practical purposes it is now already an industrialised town but not given any city status just yet.

Bintulu town - early 1970's

Date taken : circa early 1970's ( B&W photo)

The picture above shows Keppel Road when bicycles were king of the road. In the early 1970's cars were very rarely seen around town. The Keppel Road then was a two - way street with ample green space in between. The row of concrete buildings at the far right background was one of the few permanent- type buildings seen in the 1970's. Two institutions important at that time that were housed in the block were the Standard Chartered bank and the Capitol Hotel. The Capitol Hotel occupies the corner lot of the block and still exists today but re-named as Capitol Inn. Note the wooden shophouses on both sides of the road built primarily of 'belian' posts and roofing of 'belian' shingles. The first floor of the shophouses were normally made into residences by the shop owners. The ground floor of the shophouses however were of concrete flooring. The electrical posts in the center of the road were also of 'belian' timber - the hardest wood in Sarawak.

Date taken : 2 Dec'10 ( Digital - Sony Cyber-shot)

Today, Keppel Road is a one-way 3-lane road with ample parking spaces infront of the shophouses but charges are imposed by the local authority at the rate of 20 'sen' ( cents) per first 30 minutes and gradually increases thereafter. The two-storey wooden shophouses when re-built were increased to four storeys high. The tallest building at the far right was built over a previously empty open space and now houses the 'Kintown Inn'.

Bintulu town -1975

Date taken : 1975 ( Colour Photo)

View of Bintulu town shophouses along Main Bazaar road

In 1975 the shophouses that lined the Main Bazaar Road were of wooden structures with concrete floors. Almost all of the shopowners stay on the first floor. The posts of the buildings were of 'belian' timber just like the electrical posts across the street. The roofing material was of 'belian' shingles. Cars were few and bicycles were king of the road. Most villagers from the Malay kampungs closeby normally walk to town. The wooden belian bridge on the right of the picture connects the village road called ' Jalan Masjid' to the Main Bazaar road. The wooden building partly seen to the left was the 'Native Rest House' to accomodate rural natives who need to stay in town for the night while visiting the hospitals, government offices, schools, court cases, shopping for provisions, trading jungle produce products etc.,. In 1975 the Main Bazaar road was a two-way street with open space in between. In the above picture I'm with my nephew striking a pose next to my newly bought Yamaha motorcycle in front of our house.

Date taken : 29 November'10

Today the Main Bazzar Road and the Jalan Masjid are a one-way tar-sealed four-lane roads . Much have changed but the orientation and sub-division of the shophouses have not.