PETALING JAYA: A new highway is being planned for 2024 which will serve as the missing link between the eastern and north traffic corridors of the Klang Valley, according to a works ministry official.
Called the Kuala Lumpur Northern Dispersal Expressway (or KL Node), the highway is expected to ease congestion on the Middle Ring Road 2.
It is described as the final link in the grand plan of the KL Outer Ring Road system, and will connect the KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar) and East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE).
The 24km proposed alignment will be elevated along 83% of the route. It will run from Hulu Kelang to the Melawati and Melati housing estates, Gombak, Selayang Heights and end near Kanching Eco Forest Park.
The entry and exit points of the EKVE and Latar are located near Ukay Perdana in Hulu Kelang and the Kanching Eco Forest Park in Rawang, respectively.
“The KL Node project, expected to take off in 2024, will connect the existing alternative highway networks and disperse traffic on the outskirts and reduce the traffic congestion in the capital city,” a works ministry spokesman told FMT.
The expressway will provide the much-needed relief to Jalan Kuching which is highly congested and responsible for poor travel times and increased exposure to road crashes.
KL Node’s project proponent is Sambungan Lebuhraya Timur Sdn Bhd (SLT), based at Menara AZRB, the same building as EKVE Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for the East Klang Valley Expressway.
The spokesman said negotiation on the technical aspects are being held between the government and SLT. It is also learned that HSS Engineers Berhad has been appointed as consultant for the project.
SLT constructs and maintains bridges and highways. It is having discussions with Selangor government agencies, including the Ampang Jaya and Selayang municipal councils.
“It is also in the process of conducting social impact assessment along the proposed alignment,” said the spokesman.
It is learned that the Malaysia Highway Authority presented the details of KL Node to the Selangor Economic Action Council in 2017.
Asked if the project may involve the acquisition of homes and other properties, the spokesman said: “It may only be initiated after the signing of a concession agreement.”
Subject to final approval, the proposed alignment will also pass through the following areas which include hills, residential areas and villages:
Source: Free Malaysia Today, 25 July 2022
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