Kidex and Dash highway projects likely to commence next year

KUALA LUMPUR: The controversial highway projects, Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) and Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (Dash) are likely to begin construction work next year, if it complies with all the requirements, said Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof.
He said the requirements that it needs to comply with are the environmental aspects, public consultation, technical and financial evaluation.
"The projects cannot proceed because of certain processes that require compliance including environment, public consultation, local authority and state authority approvals," he said, when commenting on the delay in the Kidex and Dash projects.
Fadillah earlier opened the annual International Construction Week 2014 themed "Building a Better Tomorrow" organised by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) here yesterday.
He said both the Kidex and Dash projects are still in discussions with the public pending final approval from the state.
"If they comply with the entire requirement, then the projects would begin next year. It's all depends on the final approvals. Approvals in principal have already been given. Now the condition is that they comply with the environmental aspects, public consultation, technical and financial evaluations. We are giving them 12 months to comply.
"The Kidex project is now in public discussion. We have got some feedback from them. Some have asked for a realignment. We have to look at the public feedback. Once we get that, we have to analyse it first before proceeding with the projects," he added.
The proposed 14.9km Kidex, with an estimated cost of RM2.42 billion is expected to reduce 30% of traffic in Petaling Jaya while Dash, a 20.1 km, three-lane dual carriageway expressway that will commence at the Puncak Perdana U10 Shah Alam intersection and serve as a link for Puncak Perdana, Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Jalan Sungai Buloh, RRIM, Kota Damansara, Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara.
As for the construction sector's growth, Fadillah said the sector will continue to record double-digit growth in the second half of the year with the amount of approved construction projects in the pipeline.
Last year, total construction projects worth RM110 billion were approved.
In the first half of 2014, he said the construction industry posted a stronger growth of 14.3% against 12% in the same period of last year.
He said the robust performance underscores the important role of the construction industry in driving the Government's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) towards Malaysia's goal of becoming a high income and developed nation by the year 2020.