KOTA KINABALU: The work to upgrade the current gravel road leading to Malaysia’s second-highest peak, Mount Trusmadi in Sabah's interior Keningau district, is expected to be completed in two years.

       Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said the upgrading of the 7.3km stretch from KM3.9 of Jalan Mesej in Tambunan up to the Butterfly Gate of Mt Trusmadi, has been eagerly anticipated by the people.

       “Work on the RM43mil project began on May 23 and is expected to be completed by May 22, 2024.

       “This is great news because not only is this an important stretch for Tambunan’s agricultural industry, but the completion of the road upgrade from a gravel to a paved road will help catapult ecotourism in the district," he said in a statement after a site visit on Friday (June 3).

       Mount Trusmadi, at 2.642m, is the second-highest mountain in Sabah and Malaysia after Mount Kinabalu.

       The climb to Trusmadi's summit is widely said to be more difficult than climbing the 4,085m Mount Kinabalu.

       Kitingan, who is also Tambunan assemblyman, hoped that once the road to the mountain was finished, more people would be aware of the mountain and its location, and climbers would make it one of the top destinations in the country.

       “At the same time, the agriculture community along the road would find it easier to transport their products to the larger market, boosting the local economy,” he said.