Bestari Perdana Ramp Opens Today, To Remain Toll-free Until After Aidilfitri

JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Today’s official opening of the ingress and egress ramp to Bestari Perdana on the Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE) is set to be a relief to those who have been waiting for it to be operational since its completion five years ago.

The RM70 million infrastructure project, built by developer Meridin East Sdn Bhd (Mah Sing Holdings), is expected to benefit residents around Pasir Gudang, Masai, Kong Kong and Tanjung Langsat, with travelling time reduced from 45 minutes to just 15 minutes.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the route provides a new access by connecting Bandar Bestari Perdana and Bandar Layangkasa with the Tanjung Langsat and Pasir Gudang industrial areas.

"The opening of this ramp is expected to resolve the long-standing traffic congestion along the J10 state road, in addition to serving as the main alternative route to Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat,” he said.

He said this during the official opening of the ingress and egress ramp to Bestari Perdana and the Bestari Perdana Toll Plaza here today, which was also attended by his deputy, Datuk Dr Ahmad Maslan, and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

In line with its opening, Nanta said that motorists can pass through the Bestari Perdana Toll Plaza free of charge from today until after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The new toll plaza features two lanes each for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Touch 'n Go, to facilitate smooth cashless transactions.

Nanta said the ramp and expressway facilities located at KM5.1 of the Pasir Gudang Connector (PGC) will be taken over by SDE for management, operation and maintenance, as agreed by all parties.

In another development, Nanta said the government has approved an allocation of RM117 million under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for the additional four-kilometre-long alignment from Cahaya Baharu to Sungai Johor for the implementation of SDE upgrading works.

It was previously announced that the project to widen the expressway from two to four lanes, spanning  9.34km from the Sungai Johor Bridge to Sungai Semenchu, would cost RM128.5 million and was expected to be fully completed in April 2027.

Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz described the official opening of the ingress and egress ramp to Bestari Perdana today as a historic and meaningful moment for the people of Johor, especially since it was completed five years ago but could not be used.

"As the Minister said, we witnessed something amazing this morning. The ramp has been ready since 2021. Though it stood majestically, we could only look at it and not use it,” he said.

Onn Hafiz said the project will directly benefit about 15,000 residents nearby, who previously had to use an alternative route about seven kilometres away to make a U-turn.

"With the opening of this ramp, the travelling time can be shortened from around 45 minutes to just 15 minutes. This is a significant reduction, making it a very meaningful project for the state government and the people,” he said.

-- BERNAMA