SHAH ALAM, Nov 4 — Pre-dawn flash floods forced the emergency closure of critical sections along the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and the North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) near Shah Alam today, crippling morning peak-hour commutes across the central Klang Valley.

According to highway concessionaire PLUS Malaysia Bhd, all lanes at NKVE Km 9.1 between Shah Alam and Subang remained completely closed in both directions as of 9.04am.

To relieve mounting traffic queues, highway operators are diverting northbound traffic from Bukit Raja through the Setia Alam Toll Plaza, while southbound motorists from Subang are being channelled onto the ELITE highway.

Access from the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) towards the Shah Alam Toll Plaza also remained impassable this morning. However, traffic conditions saw partial relief after all lanes at the Shah Alam interchange along the ELITE highway, heading from Seafield towards Setia Alam, were reopened to traffic at 6.43am under cautious driving advisories.

The motorway disruptions began in the early hours following heavy overnight rain, with PLUS issuing its initial flood alert at 2.03am along the ELITE highway near the Shah Alam Toll Plaza. Water levels escalated rapidly by 2.30am as heavy surface runoff obstructed the entry ramp connecting the Guthrie Corridor Expressway, forcing the immediate closure of several entry and exit lanes.

Rising floodwaters subsequently breached NKVE Km 9.1 shortly before 2.40am, submerging the left and centre lanes between Shah Alam and Subang. By 3.00am, highway authorities enforced a total shutdown of the carriageway in both directions as the stretch became impassable to all vehicles, triggering emergency diversions towards Setia Alam and the Shah Alam interchange.

At 5.30am, localised ponding temporarily severed the ELITE interchange from Seafield before waters receded sufficiently to allow traffic through ahead of the peak morning rush.

With the mainline closure at NKVE Km 9.1 lingering through successive morning updates, PLUS advised road users to defer non-essential travel through the affected corridor, bypass the area using alternative state roads, and utilize live navigation applications to plan their journeys.