RAUB: Road users can breathe a sigh of relief when a part of the Lingkaran Tengah Utama (LTU) Expressway, that is the Section 5A: Raub Bypass, opens from 12.01am on Friday (March 8), says Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
The opening of this section, with a travel distance of 45.3km, will shorten travelling time from the East Coast Expressway (LPT) to Kuala Lipis without having to go through the towns of Bentong and Raub thus taking only 30mins.
"It can save two hours of travelling time compared to using the existing road that has to pass through the Bentong and Raub. We expect to reduce the risk of road accidents too because the road junction that will be opened will be equipped with traffic lights," said the Works Minister.
"Additionally, this route is also expected to save the overall cost of travel, in addition to reducing traffic congestion on the existing Jalan Persekutuan, especially during peak hours, festive seasons and school holidays."
Nanta said this during his speech at the opening ceremony of the road which he officiated together with Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail here on Thursday (March 7).
The total length of the Section 5A: Raub Bypass is 9.6km. With the opening of the 6.4km of the route tonight (Friday) and the 600 metres on June 25 last year, the total length of the route that has been opened so far is 7km, while the remaining 2.6km is scheduled for completion in June this year.
The construction of the LTU, previously known as the Central Spine Road (CSR), that connects Kuala Krai, Kelantan to the East Coast Highway (LPT) intersection involves a stretch of 299.4 km and a cost of RM7.7bil.
"The LTU is being implemented in stages involving five packages according to construction priorities based on areas that are prone to accidents and traffic congestion," he said.
Meanwhile, Nanta in a press conference said his ministry is in the process of examining the state government's proposal to build a Rest & Recreation (R&R) area at the LTU along the Bentong-Raub route.
Earlier, Wan Rosdy said the ministry gave attention to the state government's proposal to have an R&R area, and he also expressed his appreciation to the federal government for the construction of LTU in Pahang.
When asked about opposition member of parliament Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's (PN-Kubang Kerian) proposal to abolish the Gombak and Karak tolls, Nanta said for the time being his ministry did not intend to implement this.
"I hope all road users will understand...we need money to do maintenance for the sake of user safety. If we do not have enough funds, we worry we will not be able to carry out maintenance work properly," he said.
The media previously reported Tuan Ibrahim during the Dewan Rakyat urging the government to abolish the Gombak and Karak tolls to reduce congestion on the LPT.
Touching on the congestion on the LPT, he said the highway concessionaire will be asked not to close or reduce the lanes for maintenance work during peak hours and festive holidays.- Bernama
