PJD Link cut off for good

PUTRAJAYA: The Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway project is no more.

The project has been discontinued as the developer failed to meet conditions set by the government and there will be no more discussions on the proposed highway, says Fahmi Fadzil.

The government spokesman said the Cabinet has decided not to continue discussions after the developer failed to fulfil conditions, which would allow the concession agreement (CA) to take effect.

“The developer was not able to fulfil the conditions,” the Communications Minister told a press conference after the Cabinet meeting yesterday.

He said the Works Ministry would issue a detailed statement on the matter soon.

PJD Link was a proposed 25.4km dual-lane elevated expressway connecting Damansara to Bandar Kinrara in Selangor, starting after the NKVE toll plaza at the SPRINT Expressway in Damansara and ending at the intersection of the Bukit Jalil Highway.

The project was initially floated as the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) around 2013 but was cancelled by the Selangor state government in 2015 after protests.

A new project, the PJD Link, was then approved in principle by the Cabinet in November 2017 and by the state government in September 2020 before the CA was signed between the developer and the government on April 5, 2022.

The highway proposed to alleviate traffic congestion from Bandar Utama to Kinrara through the Petaling Jaya area, and as an alternative to the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, which has exceeded its capacity.

However, it has been opposed by residents who doubt it can solve the long-standing traffic issue and would instead see a huge number of vehicles in residential areas.

On July 31 last year, the then caretaker Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had announced the decision to scrap the project.

“The state government is not satisfied with the proposal and has decided to cancel the proposed construction of PJD Link,” he said.

However, in February this year, The Star Metro, citing informed sources, reported that talks of the project being revived emerged at the end of 2023 and a meeting between the developer and Selangor Economic Action Council was held on Jan 10.