Zazali Musa The Star 18 Jun 13;
JOHOR BARU: Plans are in the pipeline to construct a new coastal highway along the east coast from Kota Baru, Kelantan to Pengerang, Johor.
Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) director-general Datuk Ismail Md Salleh said the Government would look at the project’s viability before embarking on it.
He said that with most parts of the west-coast areas in the peninsula being well-linked, served and connected with road and highway networking systems, there was a need to improve connectivity and accessibility in the east coast.
“Although it is still in a preliminary stage, we will look into the project, as it would create economic spillover effects and open new growth centres in the east-coast areas,” Ismail told a press conference yesterday on the Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia (PSKLM) International Expressway Conference & Exhibition (PIECE 2013) to be held here in September. Also present were state public works, rural and regional development chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad and PSKLM chairman Datuk Noorizah Abd Hamid, who is also PLUS Malaysia Bhd managing director.
PIECE first held in 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, attended by 500 participants from expressway stakeholders comprising concessionaires, engineers, contractors, consultants, financiers, policy makers and regulators attended.
Ismail said with Pengerang becoming a new regional oil and gas (O&G) hub in the region, the new coastal highwaywas “deemed necessary”.
He said plans to transform the Desaru area, also in the Kota Tinggi district, into a leading leisure and hospitality spot in the region would require better connectivity and accessibility.
“The present traffic volume and future estimated figure are the main factors that will determine whether it is viable to open a new highway in the country,” added Ismail.
Meanwhile, Hasni said Johor had set up a committee to study the safety aspects and conditions of roads, especially those leading to the O&G hubs in Pengerang and Tanjung Bin.
