Commercial properties located along Jalan Tun Razak, one of the most congested roads in Kuala Lumpur, will breathe better once the new Tun Razak (TRX) external roadway is built by early next year.
Naza Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd (Naza EC), the construction arm of Naza Group of companies, was awarded the two-year contract by Kuala Lumpur city Hall for RM450 million in April last year.
According to Naza EC, the 2.5km external roadway, which will be built by the first quarter of next year, is currently 50 per cent completed.
The roadway construction will complement the existing number of lanes on Jalan Tun Razak, which is a prime exit point from the city centre.
Those who stand to benefit from the project include Royal Selangor Golf Club, Prince Court Medical Centre, RHB Centre, Menara JCorp, TRECKL and the multi-billion ringgit TRX city development.
The first single-lane ramp starts near Jalan Langgak Golf and head towards the Kampung Pandan roundabout. It will then merge with Jalan Bukit Bintang’s two-lane ramp near Jalan Delima before the Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Bukit Bintang intersection to become a three-lane carriageway section, thus forming the mainline of the external road.
Another ingress ramp will connect to the multi-level roadway from TRX city.
The ramps will then connect motorists to the Kampung Pandan roundabout, Maju Expressway (MEX) and Setiawangsa Pantai Expressway northbound and southbound via separate ramps.
An additional two ramps are under way to connect Jalan Kampung Pandan overpass and MEX towards the south entrance of TRX city.
The TRX external road is a long-term solution by city Hall to address traffic congestion along Jalan Tun Razak and the surrounding roads.
“Traffic congestion caused by interchanges in this area can get unbearable for daily commuters, especially during rainy seasons, and is expected to worsen once the TRX city development is fully functional,” said Naza EC.
The company said while the convenience of the new MRT transport infrastructure around in Greater KL has improved mobility, it could not be denied that people still rely on cars.
A study in 2015 by the World Bank revealed that Greater Kuala Lumpur residents collectively spend a staggering 250 million hours stuck in traffic in a year. That is a worrying figure, and jeopardises quality time at home and the health of individuals.
Once the traffic dispersal project is completed, it is predicted to accommodate up to 48,000 vehicles daily during peak hours, according to the Traffic Impact Assessment.