In Cars, Local News / By Anthony Lim / 22 September 2016 4:43 pm / 7 comments

Litrak, the concessionaire of the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), has announced that it will be introducing a temporary traffic scheme at the SS2 interchange on the expressway, beginning from October 1. Set to run for three months, the new flow is aimed at studying the possibility of improving traffic flow in the area.

Currently, the traffic light junction at the interchange is saturated and is extremely heavy during peak hours, with queues reaching up to almost 600 metres on certain approaches to the junction. Litrak says that at present, the Level of Service (LOS) – a classifiable measure of the quality of traffic service – is rated at F, effectively gridlock due to more demand than capacity.

The short-term scheme, jointly initiated by Litrak, the Malaysian Highway Authority and Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, will see access to the LDP towards Kelana Jaya from the slip road coming from Jalan SS2/75 being blocked off to traffic, and reduce the current three-phase signalised system to a two-phase one.

Motorists heading towards Kelana Jaya from Jalan SS2/75 can turn left into SS2/66, then head right into SS2/55 before turning left into the LDP. During the period, signage, buntings and banners will be posted along the LDP, Jalan SS2/75, SS2/66 and SS2/55 to guide traffic users.

Litrak adds that it is expecting the measure to reduce the swell of traffic around the area and improve the LOS from F to D during peak periods, with a reduction of around 10-40% in queue length. As with any new traffic flow schemes, the company says it will take some time before road users become familiar with and adjust to the new flow, which it says will benefit more than 55,000 users.

The concessionaire welcomes feedback from road users regarding the new scheme during the trial period in order to gauge its effectiveness. Aside from the SS2 interchange, the concessionaire is also looking at implementing similar traffic schemes at the Taman Megah interchange (estimated to be carried out in December), Bandar Utama and Jalan Majlis.