MBPJ will be conducting a briefing on the Jalan Tanjung Closure Status. While we await the official notice from MBPJ, we’re reaching out in advance to all RA/KRT/JMB/MC to send representatives to the session. —LOW BOON TAT/The Star
JALAN TANJUNG, off Lebuh Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya, will be permanently closed from July 25, following a court order.
However, Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the Works Ministry was making an appeal to reopen the road.
"As of now, the road will be closed as we must adhere to the court order.
"Several traffic police will be present to manage the traffic flow," the mayor said during a town hall session on Thursday (July 24) afternoon at MBPJ BU11 Hall in BU 11/12 of Bandar Utama.
He added that the Works Ministry was, however, still hoping to appeal the decision.
This is because residents from areas like Tropicana want the road to stay open.
"This is a huge blow to hundreds, if not thousands, of motorists who use the road daily and is bound to cause huge traffic snarls in the alternative routes...especially with Persiaran Surian already so congested," said a condominium resident in Tropicana.
Zahri said Petaling Jaya City Council and relevant authorities would collaborate to conduct a traffic impact study of streets that residents and other road users claimed were congested.
"When the road is closed, we can carry out the traffic impact study to get accurate facts about the situation," he explained.
"I will also sit down with my department directors and plan sustainable routes for the residents. I have already instructed my department heads to get the ball rolling.
"We will also gather all residents with constructive solutions to this issue to share their alternative route plans. We want to solve this congestion issue together," said the mayor.
"The traffic police have been gracious in helping us at the congested spot to ease traffic flow," he added.
The town hall session was also attended by Bandar Utama assemblyman and Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin, who reiterated that the court order must be followed and the road closed.
"We will need both mid-term and long-term solutions to this problem," she said.
Based on a slide presentation by the Malaysian Highway Authority operations monitoring director Mohd Shahrir Amin Ahmad at the town hall, Jalan Tanjung was initially a temporary road built in 1991 on the NKVE road reserve.
This temporary road's purpose was to facilitate the construction of a half-diamond junction applied for by Damansara Jaya Sdn Bhd (now Bandar Utama City Corporation) and Tropicana Golf and Country Resort Sdn Bhd. It was intended to be closed once construction works were completed.
However, following an appeal filed by Bandar Utama Technology Park and 14 other parties, the Court of Appeal on May 28 ordered the closure of part of Jalan Tanjung.
A notice board announcing the road's closure was placed at the site on July 10 this year.
The closure of Jalan Tanjung is 800m long and 16m wide.
