Smoother traffic flow in Taman Desa after DBKL widens three roads

Bigger and better: Jalan Desa Bakti, Jalan Desa Utama and Jalan Desa Mesra were widened following complaints of traffic jams here. A designated U-turn lane was also included during the road-widening exercise.

Residents in Taman Desa are pleased that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has widened three roads in the area, but hopes a flyover will be built to further ease the congestion in the area.

The roads – Jalan Desa Bakti, Jalan Desa Utama and Jalan Desa Mesra were widened following complaints of traffic jam.

Taman Desa Residents Association chairman William Chan said traffic was heavy especially in the morning from 6am to 7am as there is a school, SMK Desa Perdana, in the neighbourhood.

“We are glad that DBKL took action in overcoming the congestion problem.

“There are people who come from Cheras and cut through here to head towards Jalan Kelang Lama to go to the Federal Highway,” he said when met at the site.

Chan said they foresee the traffic worsening once the upcoming apartments and offices in the area were completed.

“A new apartment of 1,388 units and two blocks of 15-storey offices are going to be completed end of this year,” he pointed out.

He said DBKL informed the residents that the road-widening exercise was just phase one of the plan to ease traffic.

“They told us a flyover would be built in 2018 to provide those who lived or worked in the new condominium and office buildings access to the East West Link Expressway without going through Taman Desa,” he added.

During a site visit to the area, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Loga Bala Mohan said following the complaints, DBKL found there was a need for the roadworks and decided to proceed.

He said similar exercises would be implemented in other parts of the city, such as Sri Petaling.

“The road-widening project in Taman Desa cost RM800,000. Work started on April 27 and took about five months to complete,” he said.

DBKL has included a designated U-turn lane in Jalan Desa Bakti and a walkway around SMK Desa Perdana as well as fences.

DBKL executive director (Project Operations and Implementations) Datuk Tan Keng Chok, who was also present, said there were two lanes heading towards Salak Expressway and two lanes towards Taman Desa before the road widening project.

“We have upgraded them to become three lanes towards the expressway and four lanes towards Taman Desa including the U-turn lane,” he said.