A SURGE in return travel has led to extensive congestion across Malaysia’s main highways by midday, with motorists encountering prolonged delays on routes leading into the Klang Valley following the holiday break.
Traffic updates from the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 showed significant westbound build-ups between Bentong and Lentang, extending into the Bukit Tinggi stretch.
Queues ranging from 800 metres to 1.4 kilometres were reported at several points notably between KM58.2 and KM56.8, KM55.8 and KM54.9, as well as KM52.2 to KM51 near Lentang, and KM49.7 to KM48.9 in Bukit Tinggi.
According to PLUS Malaysia Berhad, congestion also affected long stretches of the North–South Expressway and its feeder routes in both directions.
Southbound traffic slowed considerably between the Sungai Perak rest area and the Menora Tunnel, alongside bottlenecks from Permatang Pauh to Prai, Simpang Renggam to Sedenak, and Yong Peng to Ayer Hitam.
Northbound routes experienced similar delays, particularly from Putra Mahkota to Southville City and from Bandar Ainsdale to Bandar Baru Nilai.
Additional slowdowns were observed between Sungkai and Slim River, as well as on approaches to the Menora Tunnel heading towards Ipoh, underscoring the widespread strain on the network.
Within the Klang Valley, congestion intensified on the ELITE Expressway northbound between Putrajaya and Bandar Saujana Putra.
Traffic also built up after the Sungai Besi toll plaza, with vehicles inching towards Kuala Lumpur city centre.
Motorists have been advised to remain vigilant, allow for extra travel time and monitor live traffic updates as the return exodus continues to place sustained pressure on the country’s major transport arteries. - March 29, 2026
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