Two lanes along Jalan Semabok–Bukit Katil heading towards Semabok near the Bukit Bayan traffic lights have been closed to all traffic following a sinkhole incident reported at around 9am.
The incident involves a subsidence covering approximately four metres in length and eight metres in width along FT264 Section 3.4, affecting road structure integrity and traffic flow from Bukit Katil towards Semabok.
Melaka Public Works Department (JKR) director Mohamad Salzeli Moktar said initial investigations found that the incident was caused by a 600-millimetre main pipe belonging to Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB) which burst during fibre optic cable installation works carried out using the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method by a third party contractor.
He said damage to the pipe led to underground soil erosion beneath the road surface, eventually causing the ground to collapse.
As a safety measure, both lanes from Bukit Katil to Semabok have been temporarily closed until repair works are fully completed.
He added that continuous monitoring is being carried out at the site, along with temporary traffic management measures to ensure the safety of road users.
According to him, repair works on the affected pipe by SAMB are expected to take about 10 hours, after which road resurfacing works will be carried out.
Motorists have been advised to exercise caution when passing through the area, follow all safety signage, and use alternative routes to avoid traffic congestion.
