PONTIAN: A new road will be built by 2020 to link Tanjung Pelepas in Gelang Patah to Tanjung Bin here, and is expected to cut down the one-hour travel time by more than half.

Work on the 7.5km road is expected to start in September and the whole project, which includes a bridge at Sungai Pulai, would cost about RM650mil, according to Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pic).

Most of the funds would be allocated by the Federal Government, he said on a visit to the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency here on Sunday.

"The aim is to make it more convenient for road users to travel between Pontian and Iskandar Puteri and Johor Baru as the typically 50km journey could be shortened to about 15km only with the new road," he said at a press conference.