The government says upgrading the congested FT2 Federal Highway is not economically viable due to high land costs and social impact.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no plans to upgrade the heavily congested FT2 Federal Highway.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the proposal to upgrade the 34.59-kilometre stretch from Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang is no longer economically viable.
He cited the high costs of land and asset acquisition, as well as potential social impacts, as the reasons for the decision.
Nanta was responding to a question from Senator Tiew Way Keng in the Dewan Negara today.
“Based on 2024 traffic data, the level of service on the FT2 Federal Highway at Census Station BR101 was recorded at ‘LOS F’, indicating heavy traffic flow,” he said.
This is similar to the traffic condition on the FT28 Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) at Census Station BR903.
Instead of upgrading FT2, the government is considering proposals to build a new highway to disperse traffic.
It is also providing an alternative through the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) service from Shah Alam to Kuala Lumpur, which begins operations on Dec 31.
Regarding the congested FT28 MRR2, Nanta said the Sungai Besi–Ulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE) project was implemented to help ease congestion.
Upgrading FT28 itself is also not economically viable due to high costs and social impact.
He said the traffic level on FT5 Jalan Klang–Sabak Bernam is recorded at ‘LOS A’, meaning it can still accommodate existing traffic.
Therefore, there are no plans to upgrade that route either.
Nanta added that the West Coast Expressway (WCE), fully completed in 2026, could serve as an alternative to reduce congestion on FT5.
He stressed that any proposal to build new roads or upgrade federal roads must first be submitted by the state government.
Proposals must go through the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and relevant technical departments before ministry consideration, subject to development fund allocation. – Bernama
