Pan Borneo Highway

Bus station for regional express buse between Keningau, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.

The Sarawak portion of the Pan Borneo Highway is toll-free because the 1,076km stretch was the only main artery spanning Sarawak and there were no alternative routes available.

This is unlike the case in peninsular Malaysia where although the North-South Expressway was the main link, there were many toll-free alternative routes that people could choose to travel on in West Malaysia.

The first phase of the highway, the Pan Borneo Sarawak (not the whole Pan Borneo), costs RM15bil.

Sarawak’s highway is toll-free is because this highway is the only road network across Sarawak.

The highway improve the infrastructure of Sarawak and also open up economic opportunities for the people.

The project will bring long-term benefits for the people of the state and was not a mega project that drained public funds.

The 1,700km highway in Sarawak part is estimated cost of RM27bil, involves the construction and upgrading.

75 Sarawak consultant firms have been appointed to handle the project based on recommendations from :
1- Sarawak Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2- Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

A newly set up company, Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd, is undertaking the development of the highway, which is scheduled for completion in Sarawak in early 2023.

LBU - Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd is a Sarawakian company entrusted and mandated by the federal government to plan, organise and undertake the construction of the more than 1,000km Pan Borneo Highway from Tanjung Dato in Sarawak to Merapok in Sabah.

As in 2015, 80% of the road between Sarawak and Sabah are nothing more than twisty country roads.

1	Bus from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu city centre 1- Tawau Regional Bus Station to Inanam Bus Terminal 2- Inanam Bus Terminal by local bus to city centre.
2	Bus from Kota Kinabalu to Lawas town centre 1- City Park Bus Station to Lawas Bus Station
3	Bus from Lawas to Limbang town centre 1- Lawas Bus Station to Limbang Bus Station
4	Bus from Limbang to Miri through Brunei city centre 1- Limbang Bus Station to Miri Long Distance Bus Station 4Km north of the city 2- Miri Long Distance Bus Station to Miri City Bus Terminal (Local Bus Station) in city centre
5	Bus from Miri to Bintulu city centre 1- Miri Long Distance Bus Station to Bintulu Long Distance Bus Station 2- Bintulu Long Distance Bus Station to Bintulu Local Bus Station
6	Bus from Bintulu to Sibu City Centre 1- Bintulu Long Distance Bus Station to Sibu Long Distance Bus Station 2- Sibu Long Distance Bus Station to Sibu Short Distance Bus Station
7	Bus from Sibu to Sarikei Town Centre 1- Sibu Short Distance Bus Station to Sarikei Short Distance Bus Station
8	Bus from Sarikei to Sri Aman Town Centre 1- Sarikei Long Distance Bus Terminal to Sri Aman Bus Station
9	Bus from Sri Aman to Kuching City Centre 1- Sri Aman Bus Station to Kuching Sentral Bus Terminal 2- Kuching Sentral Bus Terminal to STC Bus Station
10	Bus from Kuching to Sematan Town Centre 1- Kuching STC Bus Station to Sematan Bus Station

Limbang to Bandar Seri Begawan: To head towards the Brunei border at Tedungan, 43 km. away from Limbang, you should head southwards out of town past the museum. The road, which is also the road to Nanga Medamit (the start of the Headhunter's Trail) runs parallel to the Limbang River. Take a right turn at the KM10 point (follow Nanga Medamit and Batu Danau direction) and travel for another 13 km. before taking another right turn. Going straight will bring you to Nanga Medamit. The road crosses the Limbang River at Batu Danau village and continues right up to the border checkpoint at Tedungan. Just before the checkpoint, there is a collection of shops and food outlets. They basically serve to quench the thirst of beer-starved people coming across from Brunei. Lines at the checkpoint can be phenomenally long, especially during weekends. Once you sort out Malaysian immigration and cross the border, you will immediately come to Brunei's Kuala Lurah checkpoint. Both Malaysian and Bruneian checkpoints have drive through lanes for you stamp your passport but you may have to get out of your car to sort out the necessary car permits. From Kuala Lurah, its about 15 km. to Bandar Seri Begawan and very good roads. There are several junctions and roundabouts but there are very good signposts.

Bangar to Limbang (20 km.): This leg of the journey is short and should be relatively easy as traffic is light. It involves crossing two immigration checkpoints and one ferry ride at the border. A new bridge across the Pandaruan River is open as at 8 Dec 2013 eliminating the ferry crossing. From Bangar, head west and after about 5 km., you will come to Kampung Puni where you go through Brunei immigration (opening hours 6am to 10pm). This is not a drive-through facility and the immigration post is a one-story wooden building on the south-side of the road. Park and get your passport and car permits done. After landing on the Malaysian side, proceed to Malaysia's Pandaruan immigration checkpoint (opening hours 6am to 10pm) a short distance away. This is a drive-through facility although sorting out permits for cars may require you to park and get out of your car. With the opening of this checkpoint in June 2007, you no longer have the strange situation of having to get your Malaysian entry stamp (or exit stamp if traveling the other direction) in Limbang town. From Pandaruan, it is a simple drive to Limbang just under 15 km. away. You will pass Limbang airport just before entering town from the northeast direction.

Lawas to Bangar (48km): This stretch used to involve a ferry and border crossing, but immigration checkpoints and a new bridge have eliminated them. From Lawas, take the road out towards Trusan, about 20 km. away. This will take you to the immigration point at Mengkolap on the Malaysia side 23 kms away. Once through that, it's another 100 meters to the Brunei customs at Labu. From Labu, its about 23 km. easy driving to Bangar, Temburong's administrative center.

The stretch of 1,077 Pan Borneo Trunk Road in Sarawak is from Sematan Town to Lawas Town
The project is proposed to be implemented in three phases starting from 2011 to 2025. These are extracted as follows:-

Malaysia Ministry of Works plans to upgrade the whole stretch of the Pan-Borneo Highway to dual carriageway in stages at an estimated cost of RM22 billion. Upgrading works began in 2011 and is estimated to be completed by 2025.

Pan-Borneo road is fully tarred, with a total of 284. 65 kilometres already upgraded to dual carriageway.

1, 166 kilometres of the Pan-Borneo Highway is located in Sabah.

Problem of Pan-Borneo Highway upgrade including the problem of heavy vehicles carrying loads that exceed the 38-tonnes load limit, which frequent the Pan-Borneo highway. This causes the roads to become damaged prematurely, thus incurring high maintenance costs.