TAPAH: The construction of the West Ipoh Span Expressway (WISE), connecting Gopeng to Kuala Kangsar, will be carried out as planned, Deputy Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said.
Without revealing further details, he said that the implementation of the expressway construction is one of the tasks assigned to the ministry’s new secretary-general, Datuk Seri Azman Ibrahim.
“The project has been approved. One of the tasks of our new secretry-general is to finalise WISE, and in our meetings, it was indicated that WISE is ready to go.
“It has been approved but not yet built; we are awaiting for the announcement. Whatever it is, it was mentioned in the Budget yesterday, and I am merely confirming that the approval has been announced,“ he said at a press conference after inspecting the newly implemented traffic diversion system in the town of Tapah.
He was replying to questions about the project’s progress, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s mention of the WISE expressway as one of five projects of public interest during the MADANI Budget 2025 announcement yesterday, which will adopt a public-private partnership (PPP) approach.
Previously, media reports indicated that the Federal Government was working to expedite the construction of WISE as a measure to ease congestion on the North-South Expressway (PLUS), particularly around the Menora Tunnel.
The 60 kilometre WISE expressway will serve as an alternative to the Menora Tunnel route on PLUS and will feature three lanes in both directions, starting from Gopeng and passing through Batu Gajah, Siputeh, Manong, Tronoh, Beko, Seri Iskandar, and on to Kuala Kangsar.
