PONTIAN: The expansion project of the PLUS North-South Expressway (NSE) from four lanes to six lanes between Senai Utara and Sedenak will begin in June this year.
Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) chairman Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad said Phase One of the expansion project covers a 21.8km distance and is expected to take 36 months to be completed.
"The expansion project of the PLUS expressway in Johor from four to six lanes will commence this June, for the first phase. It is expected to be completed within a three-year period.
"It is a challenging task to widen the road from Senai Utara to Sedenak, given its hilly and steep terrain. However, despite the setbacks, it would be among our primary focus.
"The second phase of the widening project from Sedenak to Machap will commence in the beginning of 2025.
"If feasible, the widening of the roads project will be expanded to Ayer Hitam with a distance of 17.3Km. However, this expansion project is still being considered," he said, after officiating the mass circumcision 'Gerbang Remaja' programme at the Penghulu Sungai Pinggan Complex in Benut here yesterday.
On Oct 12 last year, the federal government agreed to extend the PLUS expressway expansion project from Sedenak to Simpang Renggam.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, during the 2024 Budget presentation, said the highway expansion project in Johor would be developed with an allocation cost of RM931 million.
Motorists heading south from Kuala Lumpur to Ayer Keroh in Melaka ply a six- to eight-lane dual carriageway, but their path narrows into four lanes on the entire stretch of the expressway in Johor.
This has led to congestions, especially during peak festive seasons and school holidays, and also led to frequent fatal accidents.
Meanwhile, Hasni, who is Simpang Renggam member of parliament, hopes that the PLUS expansion project in Johor will be given priority and proceed smoothly to avoid any delays from the scheduled completion date.
He said Malaysian Highway Authority will prioritise traffic management due to anticipated congestion during the expansion works.
"The traffic management plan in the expansion areas is being fine-tuned, including scheduling journeys for heavy vehicles using the highway.
"Some heavy vehicles may be diverted to federal roads, but this is still being studied and discussed," he added.