Petrofiq Sdn Bhd, the contractor for Kota Kinabalu city's skybridge project will complete the air-conditioned overhead pedestrian link within a week once they receive their outstanding payment of RM20 million.

The 350-metre skybridge is set to connect Asia City and Oceanus Waterfront Mall with links to Centre Point Sabah and Warisan Square, creating a sense of convenience for pedestrians in the near future.

In line with the increase in tourist arrivals to Kota Kinabalu, the sky bridge will enhance the safety of the tourists and enable them to explore the local delicacies and souvenirs in Asia City before taking a short and safe walk to Oceanus Waterfront Mall.

The plan also includes the refurbishment of the road and drains along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, between the Centre Point Sabah and Wawasan Plaza roundabouts, as well as a traffic signal installed in place of the former roundabout.

Developed by Sunsea Development Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Waterfront Urban Development Sdn Bhd, these upgrading efforts commenced on 1 April 2017, and the bridge is tentatively due to be completed by 3 November 2017.

Its Managing Director, Kandrix Ng C.S. said the project had reached almost 95 percent completion but only 35 percent of the RM31.5 million contract value was paid out to them.

Ng said the company had approached the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) under the Prime Minister's Department to discuss the possibility of allocating the facilitation fund for the project directly to Petrofiq.

Upon completion of the project, the skybridge will be handed over to Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK).

Ng said Petrofiq was appointed as the contractor for the project in April 2016 and commenced work in July of the same year after installing underground power cables and piping.

"Although the project is near completion, we have yet to receive the outstanding payments. Hence, we have gone slow on the skybridge but we did not abandon the project" he stressed, adding that once the outstanding payments are settled in accordance with the project's progress, they will complete the final works and hand over the sky bridge within a week to DBKK.

Ng added that Petrofiq has close to 300 employees who could be mobilized to complete the project.

He hoped the government would approve disbursing the facilitation fund to Petrofiq to expedite the completion of the skybridge, which ultimately would benefit locals and tourists.