KUALA LUMPUR: Work to widen lanes along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2024, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said that this is part of the ministry’s long-term plans to reduce congestion along the stretch.
“We have approved this proposal to widen the lanes, beginning from the Gombak Toll Plaza to the Central Spine Road intersection in Bentong.
“It will be carried out by its concessionaire ANIH Berhad, and is expected to create a more comfortable, swift, convenient and efficient highway and handle the constant congestion there, especially during the festive season, public holidays and weekends," he said.
“The project is currently in the initial and design stages. The details will be implemented in the second quarter of next year,” added Abdul Rahman on Wednesday (Oct 25).
He then said that the government was also planning to introduce a multi-lane free flow (MLFF) toll collection system to ease congestion along toll plazas there.
Abdul Rahman was responding to a question by Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut).
Khairil Nizam had asked about the Works Ministry’s plans to reduce congestion between the Bentong and Gombak toll plazas, and whether the government would install solar-powered street lights along stretches with poor lighting.
To this, Abdul Rahman said the government supported and encouraged the use of green technology through allocations in concession agreements for new highways.
It must however abide by the necessary specifications, he added.
“Generally, concession companies are the ones who provide street lights along their respective roads,” he said.
Separately, the Deputy Works Minister said the emergency lane along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway had been activated into a smart lane, however noting it could not be done fully.
“Smart lanes need a width of 2.5m whereas the current one is only 2.25m. Hence, we can only temporarily activate smart lanes during festive seasons,” he said, adding the proposal to widen the emergency lane to 3m was also included in the road widening works.
