SUNGAI BULOH – About 50 families have been affected by flash floods following heavy rain that caused a major bridge along Jalan Kubu Gajah, Merbau Sempak, to collapse at about 2am on Wednesday.
The incident severed the route connecting Kampung Kubu Gajah to Paya Jaras Hilir, forcing its closure to all vehicles on safety grounds.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government would take immediate action by installing a 35-metre temporary Bailey bridge to restore access for residents.
"This temporary bridge is expected to be completed within two to three weeks using existing state government stock, avoiding any rental costs.
"However, we must relocate the electricity pylons first before the bridge can be assembled," he said during a site inspection on Wednesday.
According to technical reports, a section of the bridge measuring about 20 metres collapsed after strong currents from the Subang River, triggered by 48 millimetres of rainfall recorded at the Paya Jaras Hilir station.
Erosion along the adjacent riverbank also affected the structural stability of the bridge.
Amirudin said construction of a permanent replacement bridge was expected to begin early next year, following the relocation of utility infrastructure in the area.
He added that the construction of the new bridge could take up to two years to complete.
On the cause of the incident, Amirudin said that although the Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) project along the Subang River had been completed, sediment build-up around the old bridge had restricted water flow, causing the river to overflow.
"The RTB project along this stretch of the river was actually completed, but sediment build-up at the bridge, which still had the old dimensions, caused the water to overflow and led to the bridge collapsing last night," he said.