In Local News / By Danny Tan / 26 January 2018 6:58 pm / 24 comments

Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings (Prolintas) announced yesterday that the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE) and Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH) are both currently at 27% completion level, 1% ahead of schedule.

Both highway projects kicked off almost simultaneously (concept studies started in 2008, construction in 2016) and are expected to be finished in late 2019, with operations expected to commence in January 2020. Both SUKE and DASH are elevated dual carriageways with 90% of it above ground, with three lanes on each side. Prolintas says that after the SUKE and DASH are completed, all highways in the Klang Valley will be connected like a big ‘ring highway’.

The SUKE is a RM4.63 billion project starting from Sri Petaling (where Kesas ends) and heading to Alam Damai, Cheras Hartamas, Bukit Teratai, Taman Kosas and Pekan Ampang before it joins the MRR2 at Hotel Flamingo. The route then continues to Taman Hillview and ends at Bukit Antarabangsa.

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The 24.4 km highway will have three toll plazas, one rest area and 14 entry/exit points. It will be linked to the MRR2, DUKE, AKLEH, KL-Seremban Highway, Cheras–Kajang Highway (Grand Saga), Besraya and Kesas highways. When completed, the SUKE is expected to reduce overall congestion by absorbing 44,000 vehicles daily. Specifically, it’s projected to reduce congestion by 24% on the MRR2, 36% on Jalan Ampang and 12% on Jalan Loke Yew.

Meanwhile, the DASH is a RM4.18 billion highway that starts from Shah Alam in Puncak Perdana, passing through Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Subang Airport, RRIM, Persiaran Surian, Seksyen 5 Kota Damansara, Sunway Damansara and Damansara Perdana before ending at the Penchala Link-LDP interchange.

The 20.1 km highway has three toll plazas and 13 entry/exit points. It will be linked with the Guthrie Expressway, NKVE, LDP and Sprint Highway. When completed, it is expected to reduce congestion by 39% on Persiaran Mohkhtar Dahari, 33% on Jalan Sungai Buloh and 43% on Persiaran Surian.

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Both highways will not have specific motorcycle lanes, but they will come with wide road shoulders (three metres wide) and special lanes for bikes at the toll plazas.

Prolintas is keen to highlight its environmental responsibility. According to regulations, for every tree cut for the project, one has to be planted; but the concessionaire will be planting two trees for every one that it will cut. For the SUKE, 2,089 trees will have to make way, and Prolintas will plant 4,120 trees in return.

For the DASH, 4,114 trees will have to make way – of this, 1,122 will be transplanted while 2,718 will be cut. Prolintas will plant 5,436 trees in return. Some of the trees will be transplanted to the corridors of the new highways.