Metro

Saturday August 22, 2009

Subang-Kelana Link opening questioned

By JADE CHAN


SUBANG Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh and Subang Jaya municipal councillor Theresa Ratnam Thong are both questioning why the Public Works Department (JKR) has allowed the Subang-Kelana Link to be opened without addressing several pertinent issues.

“A pedestrian bridge connecting SS14 to the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (SJBA) and Hindu temple at SS13 was supposed to be built, as promised by the JKR before the 2008 election,” said Yeoh.

“There is also the vehicles entering and exiting via numerous points, such as the Kesas Highway, Bandar Sunway, Summit USJ and Subang-Kelana Link itself.

“We are also requesting for a sound barrier to be built at SS12, SS15, SS13 and SS14, and for adequate signages to inform motorists about the entry/exit points.”

Yeoh said during a meeting held on Aug 5 that was attended by representatives from JKP Zone 1, Subang Jaya municipal councillors, JKR representatives and herself, the JKR was informed about the outstanding items that had to be addressed before the link could be opened.

“When we asked the JKR about the pedestrian bridge, they said ‘no comment’, despite the SJBA showing a black-and-white letter that the JKR had sent to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) stating that the JKR had agreed to build the pedestrian bridge.

“This is causing a serious problem for the devotees of the SJBA and Hindu temple who find it difficult to cross the busy road.”

Thong said Subang Jaya Residents Association president AS Gill had written a letter to JKR Malaysia Business Sector deputy chief director Datuk Mohamad Husin requesting for a meeting between the residents, JKR and Works Minister to address all the issues before the link is opened.

“In all fairness, Mohamad agreed via email that a meeting would be arranged, but the meeting details were never fixed,” she said.

Both Thong and Yeoh added that the JKR was supposed to send a letter of undertaking to the MPSJ to address the traffic issues and other concerns, as well as a notification about the link’s opening, which they said the MPSJ had yet to receive.

Yeoh said the MPSJ would not be held responsible for the safety concerns as the JKR had allowed the link to be opened on Monday afternoon before the issues were addressed.

Since the link was opened to traffic, Thong said she had received complaints of congestion and traffic backlog on the link as motorists criss-cross to get to their respective destinations.

Yeoh attributed the cause of the congestion to the traffic lights near the SJBA — Summit USJ intersection.

“The JKR has said they have a future plan or phase two project to address the traffic issue,” she said.

“There are also concerns about the LRT line that is supposed to run along Persiaran Kewajipan, which I hope that the JKR and Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB) would cooperate on.”

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