KUALA LUMPUR – The residents association that cried foul over the East Klang Valley Expressway’s (EKVE) construction of a U-turn in Beverly Heights has rubbished the developers’ claim that the structure had met safety requirements and engineering design standards.
Taman Sering Ukay residents’ association chairman Datuk Mohd Arshad Raji also lambasted the highway concessionaire for excluding residential stakeholders from the discussion on the matter.
Datuk Mohd Arshad told The Vibes that the association also does not buy the company’s explanation that the redesign of the project had been checked by Independent Checking Engineers and Road Safety Auditor.
“(The explanation is) utter rubbish. Their (EKVE Sdn Bhd’s) statement does not satisfy us,” Arshad told The Vibes when contacted.
“We want to see the plan and who approved it.”
A spokesman from EKVE told a local newspaper that the design of the elevated U-turn was amended due to construction delays brought by a legal suit involving the developer and a property owner.
The company spokesman also said a consultant has proposed a string of features, including high parapet walls and warning signs, to ensure the safety of the structure for vehicles.
Despite the residents’ association's calls for a briefing, the spokesman brushed the matter aside, saying it did not involve the stakeholders as the design changes involved a “minor part”.
The spokesman added the elevated U-turn is due for completion by June this year.
The company’s response came after the Taman Sering Ukay residents’ association in Ukay Perdana recently filed protest letters to the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), calling for the authorities to evaluate the construction and provide reassurance that it has followed safety standards.
In the letters sent to LLM and MPAJ in late January, Arshad said the current design of the elevated road appeared to be too sharp and narrow for vehicles.
The letters sighted by The Vibes said the design could be prone to accidents for thousands of highway users, especially those residing in Ukay Perdana, Bukit Antarabangsa.
Stretching 39.5km, the RM1.55 billion EKVE is a toll highway that connects Ukay Perdana in Ampang, Selangor to Bandar Sg Long in Kajang, and serves as a portion of Kuala Lumpur’s outer ring road.
The developer of the expressway is EKVE Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of public-listed Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd.
On the developer’s response, Arshad questioned EKVE’s refusal to meet with the group representing thousands of affected residents.
“If they are honest, why deny us access to them?” he asked.
“This is a question of life and death for us, the potential users of the elevated highway.” – The Vibes, February 16, 2022
