KOTA KINABALU: The speed limit on a short stretch of the 12km Lintas road leading to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) has been capped at 60kph to reduce accidents, says Sabah Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
He said the designated speed limit on most of the Lintas stretch is 80kph.
“However, upon approaching the elevated U-turn, the speed limit is 60kph for a 525m stretch,” he said in a text message on Friday (May 3).
Shahelmey said this was because of potential manoeuvring issues and traffic conflict points along the Lintas Plaza and the opposite Luyang Health Clinic junctions.
"(Therefore) stepping down the speed limit will reduce the risk of accidents,” he added.
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He also pointed out that the speed limit on the elevated U-turn itself was only 40kph.
He said the 60kph zone starts approximately 870m from the Lido traffic signal intersection and ends 600m before the Jalan Kolam/Damai signal intersection for approach from KKIA.
For road users coming from Inanam, the 60kph zone starts approximately 950m from the JIn Kolam/Damai signal intersection and ends about 450m before the Lido intersection, he added.
The apparent change of speed limit caught motorists by surprise last week and only came to light when some received summonses in the mail for speeding.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) vice-president Gee Tien Siong had said road users were concerned about the sudden change to the speed limit along certain stretches of the road connecting the Sabah northern region to the southern areas of the state, as well as to KKIA.
However, Shahelmey said there were 60kph speed limit signs erected from the time the elevated U-turn was opened to the public in January last year.
