KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 25): Kuala-Lumpur-Karak Highway (KL-Karak) concessionaire Anih Bhd is expected to commence work to widen lanes across the highway in the second quarter of 2024 (2Q2024).
“[The government] has approved the proposal to widen the lanes of KL-Karak from the Gombak Toll Plaza to the Central Spine Road Intersection in Bentong, which will be implemented by highway concession holder Anih,” Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.
“The proposed expansion is expected to provide a comfortable, fast, and efficient highway as well as deal with congestion issues that often occur across the stretch, especially during the festive season, public holidays, and weekends,” he added.
Abdul Rahman said the project is currently in its preliminary stages, with a detailed design to be implemented in 2Q2024.
He added that the job's scope also involves a three-metre-wide emergency lane to enable the activation of smart lanes during the festive season towards reducing congestion, as well as the installation of high mast lights from Gombak to the Genting Sempah Tunnel.
According to Abdul Rahman, the highway is currently equipped with a 2.25-metre emergency lane, which does not adhere to the required 2.5 metres under the specifications for a smart lane.
Abdul Rahman was responding to a question from Jerantut Member of Parliament Khairil Nizam Khiridin pertaining to the government’s short- and long-term plans to address traffic congestion between the toll plazas of Gombak and Bentong.
According to a previous report citing MARC Ratings, Anih inked a supplemental concession agreement with the government in November last year to extend its toll concession for KL-Karak and Phase 1 of the East Coast Expressway (ECE1) to 2069.
Anih’s initial 28-year concession for KL-Karak and the ECE1 was previously slated to expire in 2032.
As part of the 37-year extension, lane widening and flood mitigation works with a construction cost of RM2.3 billion were also included.
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