KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The government is mulling a request from the company responsible for the construction of the Kuala Lumpur Northern Dispersal Expressway (KL NODE) to extend the validity period of its principle approval for a second time, by six months.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the proposed implementation of the KL NODE project was previously approved in principle by the government on Sept 17, 2021, with a validity period of three years.
"The three-year validity period expired on Sept 16, 2024, and the government, through the Cabinet meeting, has agreed to extend it by 12 months, until Sept 16, 2025," he said during a Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a question from William Leong Jee Keen (PH–Selayang), who inquired about the current status of the KL NODE project, which will connect the Templer Interchange on the KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) to the Jalan Kuching Interchange on the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE).
Leong also asked for a timeline regarding the project's completion.
Regarding the completion timeline, Nanta said that if the company successfully finalises negotiations on the concession agreement within the government-approved period and the deal is signed, the company must then fulfil all preconditions within 12 months.
"If the company meets all the preconditions, the concession agreement will take effect, allowing on-site construction work to begin. The construction of the KL NODE project is scheduled to be completed within five years," he said.
He added that the project's alignment cuts through several sensitive areas, such as residential zones and existing road networks, posing challenges during the construction phase.
"Moreover, certain sections of the KL NODE alignment will pass through environmentally sensitive areas, necessitating proper control and mitigation measures," he said.
Nanta said the concession company must ensure that all environmental, social, and safety impacts are identified and reported to the relevant agencies during the planning, construction, and operational stages.
He added that the company must also adhere to all conditions set by the respective agencies for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), and Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) reports submitted, including the implementation of the agreed-upon mitigation measures.
"The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), as the regulatory agency, will ensure that the company takes appropriate action through on-site monitoring from time to time to verify that the project implementation adheres to the approved schedule," he said.
The proposed KL NODE project involves the construction of an elevated expressway spanning 40.46 kilometres (km), divided into two sections: Section 1: A dual three-lane carriageway connecting the Templer Interchange on the LATAR Expressway to Segambut, covering 18.54 km; and Section 2: A combination of dual three-lane and dual two-lane carriageways connecting Selayang to the Ukay Perdana Interchange on the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) via Segambut, covering 21.92 km.
-- BERNAMA
