After over 3 years fighting and pushing for the double u-turns on KESAS as a means to overcome congestion, LLM and the Ministry of Works have finally approved it. MPSJ Infra committee meeting minutes will testify to this, and how KESAS dragged their feet giving 1001 excuses why they couldn't do it earlier. However, now this will go a long way towards solving the congestion and bottleneck at the KESAS-Kewajipan interchange.
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RM70mil to address traffic congestion at Kewajipan Interchange
By LIM CHIA YING
chiaying@thestar.com.my
Shaziman announced this after visiting Persiaran Kewajipan on Thursday to see for himself the bottleneck at the interchange installed with four-phase traffic lights.
Sunway South Quay Sdn Bhd is constructing a RM40mil elevated bridge to be completed by July next year to cater for their own development and helping to ease some of Kewajipan’s traffic volume.
Personal observation: Shaziman (front) walking near the Kesas Highway to assess for himself the congestion that chokes up the Kewajipan Interchange every day especially during peak hours. Shaziman said he had received many grouses from motorists on the congestion at the interchange, especially during peak hours in the morning and evening.
He said he was told that about 18,000 vehicles used the interchange per hour during peak hours.
Also present to brief on the situation was Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh.
Ismail said the other proposal being looked into was the construction of two U-turns — an elevated one in Jalan Tujuan and another at the Sunway toll plaza — as well as a slip road at the Tujuan bridge.
He said the the package would cost about RM22mil.
Ismail said the cost for the two U-turns would likely be borne by the Government and Kesas.
He said doing away with the traffic lights at the interchange would not be feasible as there were residential areas nearby to be considered.
Ismail said previously they were also looking into the option of changing the four-phase lights into a three-phase one.
He added that the three-phase traffic light option would need to take into consideration the LRT extension route but the authorities could not wait for the LRT to be built.
The construction of the two U-turns would take about one-and-a-half years to build.
“The two U-turns would be built at the same time but the Government needs to first call for tender for its part of the project first.
“When the U-turns are completed, it should help ease the queue and waiting time at the traffic lights,” said Ismail.
Shaziman said the congestion was attributed to the increase in traffic from the surrounding developments over the years.
