Road upgrading works taking place along Persiaran Setia Prima in Setia Alam. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
MOTORISTS in Setia Alam, Shah Alam, can expect smoother traffic flow soon with road upgrading works underway at the elevated junction of Persiaran Setia Alam and Persiaran Setia Prima as well as nearby Persiaran Setia Perdana.
Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Zone 21 councillor Simon Siow said the RM7mil project funded by a private developer started on Dec 27 last year and was expected to be completed soon.
“About RM6mil has been allocated for construction works while RM1mil is for electrical works.
“The three-lane Persiaran Setia Perdana, which connects to Persiaran Setia Prima and Persiaran Setia Indah, will also be widened to four lanes.
“We received a lot of complaints about the long waiting time at the Persiaran Setia Alam and Persiaran Setia Prima traffic light junction,” he said.
He added that some motorists took as long as 15 minutes to get through the roughly 500m stretch from Persiaran Setia Perdana to Persiaran Setia Alam.
“With the new traffic flow and upgraded traffic lights system with sensors, there should be less congestion,” Siow said.
The project, he added, would be carried out in three phases and would be handed over to MBSA once completed.
Phase One sees the upgrading of Persiaran Setia Perdana while Phase Two covers the upgrading of the Persiaran Setia Prima-Persiaran Setia Alam elevated junction.
Phase Three involves the installation of road signs and closed-circuit TV cameras as well as painting of road markings.
Siow said once this project was completed, the elevated traffic junction connecting Persiaran Setia Alam, Persiaran Setia Indah and Persiaran Setia Perdana would also be upgraded.
“This project will likely start this month and is expected to be completed by the end of May.
“Setia Alam folk will be able to enjoy the new traffic flow in June.
“The upgrading works aim to cater to the increase in the number of motorists with the growing number of housing developments in Setia Alam,” he said.
Currently, during evening rush hour, the long line of vehicles waiting at the traffic light junction to turn towards Persiaran Setia Perdana from Persiaran Setia Alam end up blocking motorists who want to turn left into Persiaran Setia Prima.
Similarly, those travelling from Persiaran Setia Perdana towards Persiaran Setia Alam are blocked from turning left because of the high volume of vehicles waiting at the traffic lights.
Seri Jati Apartment resident Muhd Kamal Ibrahim, 44, said he often go through Setia Eco Park to get to Persiaran Setia Alam and avoid the long wait at traffic lights.
“It gets very frustrating as a lot of vehicles have to wait at the traffic lights along Persiaran Setia Prima.
“The congestion started in recent years when new developments began mushrooming in the area.
“It was a breeze travelling in Setia Alam six years ago, but the increase in population here has made the roads congested,” he said, hoping that there would be more infrastructure upgrades in the area.
User interface designer Joey Lim, 33, said traffic was very bad in the morning at the traffic light junction.
“I can get stuck in traffic for 10 to 15 minutes there, so nowadays I take Persiaran Setia Dagang to go to the highway.
“I hope the new traffic plan will reduce the traffic congestion,” she said.
