Hiccups with new road

I REFER to the report “Long-awaited road finally opens” (StarMetro, 12 July).

I don’t think a proper study (taking into account the location, environment and safety issues) was conducted before the road was constructed.

One outstanding issue, according to the report, is the shifting of the underground link box belonging to Tenaga Nasional Bhd. The box has not been shifted at all. Furthermore, there isn’t a proper outlet for traffic to flow out onto Jalan Damansara.

It is quite ridiculous to have traffic from the previous Rothman’s roundabout to flow on a three-lane Jalan Harapan-Jalan Damansara at breakneck speed and then abruptly end up on one-way lanes heading into Jalan Damansara near Tropicana City Mall. After office hours, traffic is heavy on Jalan Damansara heading to the LDP, so I don’t see the logic of constructing a road leading traffic out here.

With the traffic lights in place at the intersection between Section 17 and Section 19 at Jalan Harapan, traffic builds up along Jalan 19/15 and also Jalan 17/21I, especially during peak hours.

Traffic coming from Jalan Damansara and Section 19 can turn right into Jalan 17/47. This turn-off is not far from the traffic light. During rush hour, those who are turning right into Jalan 17/47 have to wait until the road is clear along Jalan 17/21I before they can turn. This causes a backlog of traffic, leading to unnecessary traffic jams. There should be a yellow box at the entrance of Jalan 17/47 to prevent traffic from blocking the lane.

Arrows painted on the link road to guide traffic flow are incorrect. Jalan 17/28 is a one-way street that exits onto the link road. We enter from Jalan 17/26.

These roads are narrow and can only handle one-way traffic. There are even arrows leading into back lanes!

There used to be a break in the divider in the middle of the link road where traffic coming from Section 19 can enter Jalan 17/26. That break is now blocked off and residents of Section 17 driving from Section 19 have to take a longer route just to get back to where we live.

I think speed-breakers placed at strategic locations along the Jalan Harapan-Jalan Damansara Link and CCTV cameras should be installed to protect the lives of people and pets and also to prevent crime since, with this new road, there are more access points and more escape routes for criminals!

The authorities should have further discussions with the residents of Sections 17 and 19 before allowing this link road to be opened up to traffic.

RESIDENT OF SECTION 17

Petaling Jaya, Selangor