Another highway coming to PJ

KUALA LUMPUR – Petaling Jaya will get another highway if proposals for the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) go through.

The newly proposed expressway is expected to cut travel time between Bandar Utama and Bandar Kinrara by almost half.

With preliminary planning works ongoing, the project is at the stage of gathering stakeholder feedback.

The proposed 34.3km elevated four-lane carriageway is to stand 8m high, with construction expected to start at year-end following approvals and an environmental impact assessment.

Its starting point is after the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) toll plaza on the Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal System (SPRINT) Highway, Damansara, and it ends at the Bukit Jalil Highway interchange.

Developer PJD Link Sdn Bhd said the expressway will link Petaling Jaya North, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petaling Jaya city centre, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.

PJD Link will be the fifth tolled highway connecting Petaling Jaya after the NKVE, Damansara-Puchong Highway, SPRINT Highway and New Pantai Expressway.

It will also link the Federal Highway, Kesas Highway and Bukit Jalil Highway.

Trepidation by locals aside, the project is a much-welcome economic initiative in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which the economy has taken a beating.

PJD Link Sdn Bhd executive director Amrish Hari Narayanan said based on data provided by PwC Malaysia, the expressway is projected to support an average of 12,000 jobs per year during its development phase, translating to 36,000 work years throughout construction.

Over the same period, he said, the economic output of PJD Link is estimated to be at RM6.5 billion, as it looks to improve the logistics chain for Petaling Jaya, and the growth of the Sections 13 and 19 Industrial Zone, Finas Land in Section 52, PJ Sentral, Industrial Zone in Section 51, Taman Medan, and Bukit Jalil’s Technology Park, among others.

The project also looks set to bolster Selangor’s vision of a Technology Growth Hub and contribute to the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

“The expressway will act as a traffic dispersal for the Petaling Jaya area, linking Damansara to Bandar Kinrara, and serving as an alternative to traffic-congested areas,” said Amrish.

He said at present, travel time between Bandar Utama and Bandar Kinrara averages an hour on weekdays.

The new highway consists of a 12.5km mainline and 21.8km of ramps, and has eight interchanges.

Construction will take about three years to complete, and could begin as soon as year-end if the project secures federal and state government approvals, and addresses stakeholders’ concerns.

Among the key features of PJD Link is that it maintains toll-free alternative routes and improves flow at certain locations.

Moreover, it is looking to have its own public transport system, including buses, to complement existing feeder systems, making it the first expressway to have this feature.

Amrish said the company will work with public transport providers on this.

“We’re looking to incorporate our own public transport system, but this depends on the economics of operating it on PJD Link,” he told The Vibes recently.

He said an indepedent survey conducted by Tamadun Research in 2016 found that 72% of 2,200 respondents agreed to having the highway.

“They (respondents) will usually support the expressway after they hear our explanation,” he said, adding that the company has also taken into account the views of those who oppose the project.

In September last year, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran raised concerns about PJD Link after several documents on the proposal emerged online.

Some of its critics have drawn parallels with the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project, which was abandoned in February 2015.

Residents of Section 14 had protested against the project in 2016, as about 40 houses in the neighbourhood would have to be acquired by the developer.

It was also said that Kidex would add to Petaling Jaya’s traffic woes due to its absence of a proper dispersal system.

While not dismissing the possible need for the acquisition of properties, Amrish said PJD Link Sdn Bhd is open to feedback from those who believe they will be adversely impacted by the expressway’s construction and existence.

“We want to make it clear to everyone that their feedback and engagement is very important to us. There has been positive feedback, meaning those with solutions suggesting moving certain alignments to other areas,” said Amrish, who himself lives in Section 14.

“Trust me, I am a PJ boy. I would not do this if I did not believe it would bring benefits to the people here.” – The Vibes, January 16, 2021