No plans yet for underground expressway, but Putrajaya says Kidex alternative a must as traffic grows

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — The Works Ministry has clarified that it has no concrete plans for an underground highway to be built as an alternative to the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), but said a replacement for the cancelled RM2.42 billion project was needed in order to accommodate Klang Valley’s growing traffic volume.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that the federal government was open to any proposal to increase connectivity and to manage traffic, but it will depend on whether financial and technical aspects of the many projects, including an underground tunnel.

“I was asked a question whether the government is considering an underground highway. My answer was that the government is always open to any proposal by the private sector and at the end of the day whether it is viable or not will depend on the financial and technical (aspects),” he told Malay Mail Online.

Fadillah said that a replacement plan for the Kidex project was needed as beefing up the public transportation system alone will not suffice.

“Public transportation is already part of the plan i.e MRT, LRT and BRT.

“As for buses the existing roads are not able to accommodate the traffic volume thus punctuality is an issue,” he added when asked why an alternative to Kidex was necessary.

But Fadillah stressed that the Selangor government would first need to approve any plan to construct an underground highway.

“It is up to the state because land and development approval comes under state jurisdiction,” he explained.

It was reported recently that Putrajaya is mulling having an underground highway as an alternative to Kidex.

Back in February, Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali said that the Kidex project would no longer part of Selangor’s 2035 structural plan following the state government’s cancellation of the controversial project.

Back then, he said there was no need to consider the project at all, since the developer Kidex Sdn Bhd had failed to meet the necessary preconditions required for the approval of the 14.9km highway plan.

An independent review of Kidex by MDS Traffic Planners and Consultants earlier this year showed that the project suffered from a poor planning process between various government levels, besides highlighting concerns of the highway encroaching homes and public buildings like schools and hospitals.