SUKE on the horizon

SUKE on the horizon

This year will also see the addition of a new highway in Klang Valley – Sungei Besi-Hulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE).

The 31.8km SUKE, with 12 interchanges, will run from Sungai Besi to the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) in Setiawangsa to reduce traffic snarls on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).

SUKE will also serve as an alternative route to the MRR2.

“The highway will cut across Sri Petaling, Taman Connaught (Cheras), Cheras Hartamas, Taman Putra, and Taman Melawati,” said Ampang Jaya Municipal Council president Datuk Mohamad Yacob during a full board meeting last December.

The engineering plans for the proposed RM4.75 billion highway have been finalised, except for toll charges. The concessionaire for the project is Lintasan Shah Alam Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), which also operates the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) and the Shah Alam-Kemuning Highway or Lebuhraya Kemuning-Shah Alam (LKSA).

The concession agreement is expected to be inked later this month while land acquisition plans are scheduled to begin in February. Construction is expected to begin in 2013.

The project is expected to cover 385.6 hectares of land involving 283 buildings. This includes private land amounting to 200 hectares and 152 hectares of government land. The remaining 34 hectares will be from forest and river reserves.

The government is expected to fund 20% or RM950 million of the project while the remaining RM3.8 billion will be financed by Prolintas.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor in 2010 said SUKE was needed as traffic volume at the MRR2 has reached 180,000 to 200,000 vehicles, exceeding the original 120,000 daily capacity.