Nod for funds to build link to MEX

The Star - 31 March 2010

SOME developers do not mind contributing funds to build the link from Seri Kembangan to Maju Expressway (MEX) and the onus is now on the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) to initiate the project.

Subang Jaya municipal councillors Pooi Weng Keong and Tai Cheng Heng said some of the 37 developers with projects within a radius of 5km of the highway, had agreed to fork out money for the link.

“We estimated that the full-diamond interchange at the highway (previously known as KL-Putrajaya Dedicated Highway) will cost between RM70mil and RM80mil, and we will start with the Serdang- Kuala Lumpur direction before proceeding to Serdang- Putrajaya,” Pooi said.

However, following a meeting in Putrajaya last year, they received a letter from the Public Private Partnership Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, stating that the Public Works Ministry would apply for funds for the interchange.

”Their estimated cost was RM67mil, exclusive of land acquisition,” Pooi said.

Tai added that an LLM representative had said at a meeting last year that this project was listed under the non-committed category in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

“He said the project would not be carried out as there was no allocation, and would be proposed again in the 10th Malaysia Plan,” he said.

Tai and Pooi said the link would help alleviate the congestion in the booming township and they urged the federal government to approve the interchange project.

Three meetings were also held with the relevant authorities last year to discuss the project.

“Subang Jaya Municipal Council president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan had also suggested to LLM that the project be carried out by the state government and highway authority could repay the construction cost in stages,” Tai said.

The 26km highway, built by concessionaire Konsortium Lapangan Terjaya and which links Kuala Lumpur to Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, was opened to traffic in December 2007.

It has five interchanges at Kampung Pandan, Salak South, Kuchai Lama, Bukit Jalil and Putrajaya Utama.

The proposal for the interchange at Seri Kembangan was first brought up in April 2006 when all 24 Subang Jaya municipal councillors gave their full support during a council meeting.

Until now, the residents are still waiting for the much needed link.

'm in support for the link Seri Kembangan - MEX as my house would be completed next year and really need an easier access to KL . With the indication of many developers to fork out some money for the project, hopefully the Fed and State Government would give a nod to the project SOON ...