KUALA LUMPUR: The Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan stretch of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) is ready to be opened to traffic soon after it is gazetted.
In a statement today, WCE said the government would announce its opening date as physical and security inspections at that stretch showed that it fulfilled the requirements set by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).
Earlier, it was reported that three sections in the Perak segment - Sections 8, 9 and 10 - were in the final stages of completion and were expected to be opened in stages in June this year, while the other sections will be opened when completed later.
The 233km-long WCE runs through Selangor and Perak, with the Selangor segment stretching from Jalan Banting-KLIA (B18) to the Tanjong Karang Interchange for 93.8 km while in Perak it runs from Federal Road 5 (FR5) at Hutan Melintang to the Changkat Jering Toll Plaza for 139.2km.
The highway has 21 interchanges with 20 toll plazas and is linked to existing highways like PLUS, SKVE, NKVE, NNKSB, LATAR and KESAS.
The Perak segment has four sections - Section 8 (Hutan Melintang-Teluk Intan), Section 9 (Lekir-Changkat Cermin), Section 10 (Changkat Cermin-Beruas) and Section 11 (Beruas-Taiping Selatan).
Perak Public Utilities, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Plantation Committee chairman Abdul Yunus Jamhari said it would be good if that section could be opened before Hari Raya Aidilfitri but it still depended on the process of gazetting.
“Whether it can be opened in time we are not sure. I’m worried that if only Section 8 is opened, the sudden increase in the number of vehicles during the festive season will lead to other problems,” he said in a statement.
He advised the relevant parties to be cautious and to study all aspects thoroughly before making announcements.
On May 9, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu had said that section was expected to be opened before Hari Raya Aidilfitri to facilitate visits by people during the festival. - Bernama
