KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — Construction of a proposed elevated highway cutting across the heart of Petaling Jaya would cost a staggering RM161 million for every single kilometre, according to a Selangor assemblyman today.

Questioning the viability of the RM2.4 billion Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) that is meeting with increasing resistance from Selangor residents, Damansara Utara representative Yeo Bee Yin said the construction cost would eclipse even the RM95 million/km for the Ampang-KL Elevated Highway (AKLEH).

“In addition, the price tag of RM2.4 billion has not included the land acquisition costs.

“According to the current market value of the lands along the proposed alignment, it is estimated that it will cost about RM700 million to RM1 billion to conduct such a scale of land acquisition according to the procedures stated in Land Acquisition Act,” she said in a statement today.

Adding the projected land acquisition costs could bump the total price tag of the elevated highway to RM3.4 billion.

In a table accompanying her statement, Yeo also listed down the per-kilometre cost of Malaysia’s main highways for comparison.

In descending order, the next costliest after AKLEH were the New Pantai Expressway (RM69 million/km), Duta Ulu Klang Expressway (RM64 million), and the Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (RM51 million/km).

The North-South Expressway (PLUS) weighed in at RM13 million per km.

Among the state and federal lawmakers pressing the Selangor administration for details over the project, Yeo said a RM3 billion development that would cleave into the heart of a mature Petaling Jaya warranted close scrutiny and greater transparency.

Last week, a briefing by Kidex Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) for parliamentarians and assemblymen was called off at the eleventh hour in order to allow the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department (JPBD) to conduct a prior event.

The continued scarcity of information over the project also prompted a Selangor resident to file a request under the state’s freedom of information laws to demand details regarding the highway.

The Kidex project has been rejected on three occasions by the city council as developers had failed to provide sufficient details.

Under Section 18 of the Town Country and Planning Act (TCPA), construction cannot start unless the highway fits with MBPJ’s plans.

Kidex is currently not incorporated into the council’s blueprint for Petaling Jaya city.

Despite the growing opposition, mounting evidence in the form of replies in Parliament and the state legislative assembly indicate that the project is set to proceed.

Among the areas that could be affected by the project are Tropicana Mall, SS2 Mall, Rothman’s traffic lights, Section 14, Amcorp Mall, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, Jalan Templer roundabout, Taman Datuk Harun, Taman Medan Baru and Bandar Kinrara.

Construction of the multi-billion ringgit highway could begin as soon as next year and be completed by 2018.