West Coast Expressway
The West Coast Expressway West Coast Expressway is an interstate controlled-access highway running along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The 233-kilometre (145-mile) expressway is currently under construction, with several sections open for public use. Once completed, the expressway will run between Changkat Jering, Perak and Banting, Selangor, following federal routes 5 and 60 for most of its route. The expressway will operate in three sections, with sections of federal route 5 completing the missing connections; these sections will be upgraded to limited-access roads. The expressway is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2022,[1] except for a 10 km stretch from Section 7B which is expected to be completed by June 2024.[2]
The expressway is being built by Konsortium Lebuhraya Pantai Barat. Approval was given by the government for the construction, which was to begin from 20 December 2013 and was to be completed within five years.[3] The project was delayed and actual construction began in May 2014. Currently, a 9.7-kilometre segment between Kapar and Bukit Raja,[4] a 19-kilometre segment from Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan[5] and a 45-kilometre segment from Lekir to Beruas[6] are opened to traffic.
Overview
Construction of the expressway is divided into eleven packages. Works for the first five packages commenced in May 2014, of which three packages are in Selangor while the other two are in Perak. The stretches between Tanjung Karang to Hutan Melintang and Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir are using the existing stretches of federal route 5, both of which are currently being upgraded. As a result, the expressway will consist of three non-contiguous stretches of controlled-access expressway (JKR R6), i.e. from Banting to Tanjung Karang, Hutan Melintang to Teluk Intan and Lekir to Changkat Jering while the two stretches on federal route 5 are partial access highways (JKR R5) featuring grade-separated interchanges at major junctions, left-in/left-out junctions and at-grade U-Turns.
A spur link from Changkat Keruing to Siputeh (near Ipoh) in Perak which will be connected via an interchange with the main link is also in the plan. Construction of the spur link is however deferred. The spur link will consist of a controlled-access expressway (JKR R6) stretch from Changkat Keruing to Parit while the stretch between Parit to Siputeh will use the existing stretch of federal route 73 will be similarly upgraded like the two federal route 5 stretches of the main link.
The controlled-access expressway stretches will use a closed toll system like the North–South Expressway. Toll collection has started at all opened stretches of the expressway. The stretches on existing federal roads will remain toll-free.
The highway will cost about RM 4.6 billion, where RM3.6 billion will be construction costs. The concessionaire company is planning to issue bonds in 2009.[needs update]
On 25 May 2014, the construction of the expressway began. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new expressway was held near the Teluk Intan interchange in Teluk Intan, Perak.
Five interchanges (sections 4–5, 8–10) were expected to be opened in time for Eid al-Fitr in 2019[7] but a burst water pipe on 5 May 2019 delayed the opening of sections 4–5.[8]
On 31 May 2019, section 8 between Hutan Melintang and Teluk Intan in Perak was opened to traffic. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Works, Mohd. Anuar Tahir.[5] This followed by the opening of sections 9 and 10 between Lekir and Beruas, also in Perak on 23 September 2019 and officiated by Works Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Syed Omar Sharifuddin Syed Ikhsan.[6] The first section to open in Selangor was section 5 between Kapar and Bukit Raja and officiated by Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Mohd Shuhaimi Hassan. This stretch was opened to public on 10 December 2019.[9]
As of 10 December 2019, the expressway is 71% completed[9] with section 4 (Federal Highway 2–Bandar Bukit Raja (North)) slated to be opened in Q1 2020 followed by sections 1–3 (Banting–Federal Highway 2) & section 6 (Kapar–Assam Jaya) in early 2021.[1]Land acquisition issues and alignment changes causing delay of the construction of section 7 (Assam Jawa–Tanjung Karang),[7] which will be completed by 2024 along with section 11 (Beruas–Taiping South).[10] [11]
WCE group has the first right of refusal for Section 12 (Siputeh – Segari) which will cost RM600 million with 41 km stretch. There is a plan to extend the expressway all the way to Penang if it is feasible.[10]
Route background
The northern terminus of the expressway will be located at Changkat Jering on the North–South Expressway Northern Route. The southern terminus will be located at Banting on Federal Route 31. The expressway will also have interchanges to Trong, Beruas, Changkat Cermin, Sitiawan, Lekir, Teluk Intan, Hutan Melintang, Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Sekinchan, Tanjung Karang, Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway at Assam Jawa, Kapar, New North Klang Straits Bypass, New Klang Valley Expressway at Bukit Raja, Federal Highway at Klang, Sri Andalas, Shah Alam Expressway near Jalan Kebun and South Klang Valley Expressway.
12 sites have been identified as rest and services area with each area will have 2 petrol stations.[10]
Junction list
![]() | This section is missing kilometre posts for junctions. |
State | District | Location | km | Exit | Name | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perak | Larut, Matang and Selama | Changkat Jering | | Taiping South | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Under construction | |
| Changkat Jering toll plaza (north end of ticket system, under construction) | ||||||
Terong | | 3237 | Terong | ![]() | Under construction | ||
Manjung | Beruas | 241.63 | 3235 | Beruas | ![]() | ||
– | | 3233 | Changkat Cermin | ![]() | |||
Ayer Tawar | | Ayer Tawar rest and service area (northbound, under construction) | |||||
Sitiawan | | 3232 | Sitiawan North | ![]() | |||
| 3231 | Sitiawan | ![]() ![]() | ||||
Lekir | | Lekir toll plaza (south end of ticket system) | |||||
198.24 | 3230 | Kampung Lekir | ![]() | ||||
193.59 | – | – | ![]() | Southern terminus of northern section; continues as federal route 5 Under construction | |||
Gap in route, continues as ![]() | |||||||
Perak | Hilir Perak | Batak Rabit | 162.07 | 3223 | Teluk Intan | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of central section; continues as federal route 5 |
– | | Teluk Intan toll plaza (north end of ticket system) | |||||
| Teluk Intan rest and service area (both directions, under construction) | ||||||
Bagan Datuk | | Hutan Melintang toll plaza (south end of ticket system) | |||||
143.99 | 3222 | Hutan Melintang | ![]() Jalan Sungai Samak – Kampung Sungai Samak | Southern terminus of central section; continues as federal route 5 | |||
Gap in route, continues as ![]() | |||||||
Selangor | Kuala Selangor | – | | 3212 | Tanjung Karang | ![]() | Northern terminus of southern section; continues as federal route 5 Under construction |
| Tanjung Karang toll plaza (north end of ticket system, under construction) | ||||||
| 3210 | Assam Jawa | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Under construction | |||
Klang | Kapar | | 3208 | Kapar | ![]() | ||
Bukit Raja | | 3207 | Bandar Bukit Raja South(NNKSB2) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
– | | 3205 | Sri Andalas | ![]() | Under construction | ||
| 3204 | SAE | ![]() ![]() | Under construction | |||
Kuala Langat | | ![]() ![]() | Under construction | ||||
Banting | | Banting toll plaza (south end of ticket system, under construction) | |||||
0.00 | 3201 | Banting | ![]() | Under construction | |||
1.000 km = 0.621 mi; 1.000 mi = 1.609 km
|
References
- ^ a b "Hot spots coming up along WCE". Edgeprop.my. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Bumpy path to profitability | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ http://www.wce.com.my/media-updates/New-beginning-for-KEuro
- ^ Chan, Dawn (1 December 2019). "West Coast Expressway opens Section 5 stretch to traffic tonight". NST Online. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ a b Arif, Zahratulhayat Mat (3 May 2019). "Section 8 of West Coast Expressway opens today". NST Online. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ a b Bernama (2 September 2019). "Sections 9, 10 of WCE now open". NST Online. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ a b "West Coast Expressway – Media Updates – WCE back in the spotlight". wce.com.my. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ Thiagarajan, Tara (9 May 2019). "Photos Show Extent Of Damage to Collapsed Expressway That Caused Unexpected Water Shortage in Klang – WORLD OF BUZZ". worldofbuzz.com/. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ a b Chan, Dawn (1 December 2019). "West Coast Expressway opens Section 5 stretch to traffic tonight". NST Online. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ a b c "In high gear to complete 233km West Coast Expressway | The Star Online". The Star. Malaysia. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "WCE highway completion delayed to 2024 | The Malaysian Reserve". The Malaysian Reserve. Malaysia. Retrieved 3 November 2020.