In Local News, Public Transport / By Danny Tan / 1 February 2018 3:09 pm / 22 comments

The pedestrian link directly connecting the Bandar Utama MRT Station to 1 Utama is finally open. Now, commuters no longer need to head towards 1 Powerhouse (Entrance A) to walk or take a shuttle to the shopping mall.

The station’s Entrance B takes you to One World Hotel near the newly relocated Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant and the ground floor of 1 Utama. Users can also reach the IBM and KPMG office towers, Media Prima and 1 First Avenue via this entrance.

The 35-metre link-bridge was constructed by Bandar Utama City Corporation (BUCC), the owner of 1 Utama and the adjacent buildings. The free shuttle bus service to and fro the mall from the 1 Powerhouse MRT Feeder Bus Terminal and MRT Park & Ride will continue.

“As with any work involving more than one party, there were interfacing issues which had to be ironed out. We are happy that MRT Corp and BUCC have managed to work together closely to get this link opened. With the link, it will be easier for shoppers to get to 1 Utama seamlessly. At the same time, this will encourage more people to use the MRT. This is certainly a win-win situation for all parties involved and the public,” said MRT Corp director of strategic communications and stakeholder relations Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah.

There’s more to come from Malaysia’s largest shopping mall. “Phase 1 of our newest mall extension 1 Utama E was just launched last week and we will be building more pedestrian links from the MRT station to 1 Utama E with seamless connections to 1 Utama as we work towards constructing Phase 2 to be completed by mid-2019,” said 1 Utama director Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok.

1 Utama E will add almost 600,000 sq.ft. to the mall’s six million sq.ft. of gross built-up area. There will be an additional three levels of basement carpark with a direct access ramp off Lebuh Bandar Utama as well as via Dataran Bandar Utama and Persiaran Bandar Utama.