Elevated highway aims to end 'mother of all jams' in Seberang Prai

BUTTERWORTH: An 8.95km elevated highway and Penang’s first three-level flyover will be among the features of the new Juru-Sungai Dua Elevated Highway (JSEH).

The highway is planned to bring to an end the “longest traffic jam in the northern region” which often stretches over 17km on mainland Penang. That nightmare should end by 2030 when the RM3bil JSEH is completed.

The new link involves a 17.4km road of eight lanes, similar to the Ipoh stretch of the North-South Expressway, which separates local traffic from highway traffic.

The snarl will end with the removal of the current antiquated expressway system, that sees vehicles exit the North-South Expressway in Juru and drive through local roads before rejoining the expressway in Sungai Dua.

“There are times when over 80% of the daily traffic in Seberang Perai is just passing through,” says state infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.

“The vehicles just exit the expressway in the south and drive north to the toll plaza towards Kedah, Perlis and even southern Thailand.

“With the JSEH, motorists in Kedah, Perlis and mainland Penang will no longer have to ‘share’ the road,” he said.

“JSEH will completely separate through-traffic and local traffic,” he said.

Island traffic heading to the mainland via Penang Bridge will have the option to get onto the North-South Expressway through JSEH right after exiting the bridge instead of driving to the Juru toll plaza.

“We will also eliminate one of the most “feared” intersections along this route near Juru Auto City.

“From the current eight phases with many traffic lights and a flyover, it will become free-flowing with two elevated u-turns for local traffic to cross over,” Zairil said.

Despite JSEH’s long elevated highway section, several flyovers, ramps, slip roads and split toll plazas, the cost of the new highway is a relatively low RM3bil.

“This is because very little land acquisition is needed. JSEH will be built over existing roads and there is enough reserve land beside the route for this expansion.

“This is also why we can start the construction quickly,” said Zairil, adding that physical work was expected to start by the fourth quarter.

Former Penang Transport Council members Datuk Seri Ooi Eng Hock and Datuk S.N. Lee, who had contributed to JSEH’s concept, were happy that the highway would become a reality after being on the drawing board for about 20 years.

“In 2009, the state formed the transport council as an advisory group comprising industrialists, scholars and civil society.

“We saw the need to take traffic from the expressway out of Seberang Perai’s roads,” said Ooi.

Lee said JSEH would form a corridor connecting industrial parks on mainland Penang.

“With Batu Kawan in the south growing with high-tech MNCs, a smooth road connection going all the way to even Penang Technology Park@Bertam in the north will open up new economic opportunities.

“The numerous bottlenecks in Perai are stumbling blocks for supporting industries of MNCs. JSEH will become the backbone of Seberang Perai’s industrial development,” Lee stressed.