SHAH ALAM: Portions of the Jalan B66 Batang Kali-Genting road could be open to light vehicles to travel to Genting Highlands once reinforcement road widening works are done.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that this was being planned to allow Batang Kali residents who work in Genting Highlands to be able to use the road.
“Following a meeting with the director of the Selangor Public Works Department yesterday (Dec 23), we are looking to widen the road on the side which is not affected by the landslide,” said Amirudin.
He added that compacted rough stones had been used to patch certain areas along the road.
“The announcement by the Works Ministry was to close the road for one year, but there are some four to five thousand who work in Genting Highlands,” said Amirudin after launching the Wheels Initiative programme (Ride) on Saturday (Dec 24).
With access to the road, Amirudin said that residents would not have to take the much longer route through Gombak to reach Genting Highlands for work.
He added that access to the road would be managed by the Works Ministry and police, but could possibly only be used as a one-way route.
“We definitely are not encouraging people to use the road,” he said, also stressing that heavy vehicles will not be allowed to use the road for the time being.
Amirudin added that an announcement of when the road will be accessible will be made by the second week of January as there is a lot of coordination that needs to be done.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said on Friday (Dec 23) that the route will be reopened to motorcycle users within a week’s time.
However authorities still had to conduct a thorough inspection and monitor the area as soil movements were still occurring.
