The short-stretch package covers nine locations, including Lachau, Selangau, Balingian, Kemena, Sebiew and Tudan. It will upgrade pavement structures and road-safety features. The contractor received the site on Sept 17, and Sarawak JKR and the Works Ministry will monitor the work.

The redline is not one continuous 17.1km route. It refers to 136.74km of sections left out of the original Pan Borneo project. The current package is the 17.1km short stretch; a separate 119.64km long stretch is still being refined for implementation.

For Sarawak road users, the useful next check is how work is staged at the nine locations and whether the contractor can beat the 16-month schedule. The update did not include a detailed traffic-management timetable.