KUALA LUMPUR: Construction to widen the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) will begin by January next year, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
The Deputy Works Minister revealed that the new plan to widen the highway would cost an estimated RM2.1bil and involve a 45.3km stretch between the Gombak Toll Plaza and Bentong, Pahang.
“The cost will be borne entirely by KLK’s concessionaire AFA Prime Berhad with the project’s design in the process of being finalised before physical construction begins.
“Construction is set to begin in January next year and take at least four years to complete with the widened highway to be operational by 2029,” he said during Ministry Question Time during Parliament on Monday (Nov 4).
Among the project plans will be the construction of an additional lane for the current three-lane road from Gombak Toll Plaza to Genting Sempah.
The road between Genting Sempah and Bentong will also get an additional lane from two to three lanes.
A new two-lane tunnel is also in the pipeline to be built next to the existing east-bound tunnel (to Pahang) from Genting Sempah.
Original plans to begin widening the high-traffic highway earlier this year were delayed due to changes in shareholding in AFA Prime Berhad, previously known as Anih Berhad, which has since been resolved, according to Ahmad.
Ahmad was responding to a question by Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan) requesting an update on the widening of the KLK Expressway to accommodate the growing traffic.
