Federal Highway (Malaysia)

History

The history of the highway begins after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia on 9 August 1965, when the Malaysian government decided to make Port Swettenham (now Port Klang) as Malaysia's new national port as a replacement of Singapore. As a result, the government planned to build a highway connecting Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur by upgrading the former Kuala Lumpur–Klang Highway (Jalan Kuala Lumpur–Klang) (opened to traffic on 14 January 1959) to a full motorway by replacing the existing at-grade intersections with interchanges, making the Federal Highway as Malaysia's first expressway. The Kuala Lumpur–Petaling Jaya Traffic Dispersal Scheme was implemented in 1974 under the surveillance of the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR). This scheme includes the Kuala Lumpur Inner Ring Road, Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 1, Jalan Syed Putra and Federal Highway Route 2 (Kuala Lumpur–Petaling Jaya). Funded by a loan granted by the World Bank, the upgrade works for the Federal Highway from Subang Airport Interchange to Kuala Lumpur started from 1974 until 1977. The highway was originally a 4-lane limited access highway except for the Petaling Jaya stretch where it expands to a 6-lane highway. However, in 1992 PLUS Expressways, the concession holder of North–South Expressway has upgraded the entire highway to a 6-lane highway with two toll plazas, Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau. The 6-lane toll highway had begun in operation on 11 May 1993. Since it serves as a connection between several major locations such as Klang, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, the highway constantly receives significant traffic flow and suffers from heavy traffic congestions during peak hours.

Upgrading of the Subang Airport Interchange and the Majlis Link

The upgrading of the Subang Airport Interchange including main link of Subang–Kelana Jaya Link from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport Highway (route 15) of Federal Highway (route 2) to Persiaran Kewajipan near Menara Mesiniaga began at the end of 2005 and the construction of the new Majlis Link in September 2005. Both project are led by Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR). While the main contractor are the Ahmad Zaki Resources Berhad (AZRB) and Ho Hup Construction Company Berhad (HHCC). The Majlis Link was completed in March 2007 while the Subang Airport Interchange was completed in September 2009.

Features

• Variable Message System (VMS) from Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS) Traffic Management Centre
• Four and six lane carriageway
• 90 km/h speed limit
• LED Street Light
• Electronic LED billboards at street lights

Landmarks

• The main landmarks of Federal Highway is Kota Darul Ehsan, the biggest arch in Malaysia located in Petaling Jaya. It was built on the orders of the former Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah to commemorate the cession of Kuala Lumpur to the federal government on 1 February 1974.
• The Tugu Keris monument was originally located near the Sungai Rasau toll plaza in Klang. However, it was relocated to the Klang Royal Gardens as the construction of a flyover obstructed its view.

Other features

• Federal Highway also has a motorcycle lane to avoid accidents between cars and motorcycles in that area.
• Bulatan Selangor (also known as Shah Alam Cloverleaf Interchange) in Shah Alam, Selangor is the biggest cloverleaf interchange in Malaysia.
• Breweries along this highway including Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB) brewery in Sungai Way and Carlsberg brewery in Shah Alam.

Restricted routes for heavy vehicles

A restricted route has been implemented on the Federal Highway between Sungai Rasau and Subang during workdays and peak hours. Heavy vehicles (except buses and tankers) with laden and unladen heavy vehicles weighing 10,000 kg or more are not allowed to enter the expressway between 6:30 am until 9:30 am during Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays). A compound fine will be issued to heavy vehicles which flout the rule.

Criticisms

Motorcycle lane hazards

The Federal Highway is well known as the first expressway in Malaysia to have motorcycle lanes. However, the motorcycle lanes in the Federal Highway are known for posing danger to motorcyclists, due to dark, narrow and poorly maintained lanes and ramps, dangerous sharp corners, vulnerable spots for robberies. This has been attributed to the fact that the motorcycle lanes were originally intended for bicycle riders, with the design speed limit as low as 60 km/h.

On 29 August 2016, the Ministry of Works (MOW) allocated RM 3.13 million to upgrade motorcycle lanes on the Federal Highway in areas that fall under its care. The allocation would cover costs for brightening dark areas, installing pump houses at flood-prone areas, painting road lines and tunnel walls, lane-widening, building overhead ramps, additional signage and repair of intersections.

On 21 October 2016, during the announcement of the 2017 Budget, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that RM29 million would be allocated to upgrading the motorcycle lane on the Federal Highway. This included enhancing the drainage system to prevent flooding and building two overhead ramps, to make it safer for motorcyclists who use the route.

Traffic congestion locations

Since the highway connects multiple major locations, significantly higher traffic may be observed at certain stretches of the highway:

Notable events

• 18 December 1988 - R. Arumugam, a Malaysian national football player, died in a car accident on the Federal Highway near the Mercedes Benz showroom at Petaling Jaya.
• 8 December 2010 - A driver was killed when he tried to make an illegal U-turn at KM 27.3 of the Federal Highway near Seri Setia.
• 21 April 2013 - Five people were killed following a freak accident along KM 10.1 of the Federal Highway near Shah Alam.
• 16 June 2013 - Three teenagers were killed and another injured when the car they were in crashed into the divider along KM 14.5 of the Federal Highway near Shah Alam.
• 19 February 2018 - Two people were killed in an accident when the car they were traveling in hit a pillar at the unused Batu Tiga toll plaza heading towards Shah Alam.

Tolls

After the expansion of the highway by PLUS Expressways, several toll plazas have been set up and operations started from 11 May 1993. Like most PLUS-operated highways, there used to be a 10% discount for class 1 vehicles between 12:00 midnight and 7:00 am (RM0.90 at SGR and RM1.00 at BTT) since 1 March 2009.

However, toll collection at Sungai Rasau and Batu Tiga toll plazas have been abolished by the Malaysian government on 1 January 2018 with the government paying PLUS Expressways RM2.2 billion, spread over 20 years, as a result of the abolishment.

Electronic toll collection

As part of an initiative to facilitate smoother passage at the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau Toll Plazas on Federal Highway. On 10 July 2014, the highway operator, PLUS Expressways, announced that all toll transactions at both toll plazas would be conducted electronically via PLUSMiles cards, Touch 'n Go cards or SmartTAGs starting 1 September 2014. Besides being more convenient to Federal Highway users and reducing jams at toll plazas caused by cash-paying motorists, this move might had helped reducing risks of robberies at toll plazas faced by toll attendants, as there would have been less cash available. However, on 30 August 2014, the implementation of the ETCs at Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plaza was postponed by the federal government.

Since 22 November 2014, all toll transactions at Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas of the Federal Highway had been conducted electronically via PLUSMiles cards, Touch 'n Go cards or SmartTAGs.

Toll collection was discontinued since 1 January 2018.

Interchange lists

Below is a list of interchanges (exits), laybys and rest and service areas along the Federal Highway route. The exits are arranged in ascending numerical order from West to East. The speed limit of entire route is 90 km/h.

References

References

1. . (14 January 1959). ["Perasmian Pembukaan Jalanraya Kuala Lumpur-Port Swettenham"](http://hids.arkib.gov.my/readarticle.php?article_id=968&y=2018&m=5). *[[National Archives of Malaysia]]*.
2. (1 April 2016). "Federal Highway a bane or a gain ⋆ The Malaysian Times".
3. "Monument shifted to gardens".
4. "Contact Us - Heineken Malaysia Berhad".
5. "Contact Us".
6. "Heavy vehicles banned from three NSE stretches during peak hours - Nation - The Star Online".
7. "Death traps on the Federal Highway".
8. [http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/20090208112440/Article/index_html I REMEMBER WHEN... Federal Highway was constructed] {{webarchive. link. (10 April 2009 - New Straits Times Online. Accessed on 23 March 2009.)
9. [http://rakan1.jkr.gov.my/cjalan/editor/files/Guide%20On%20Geometric%20Design%20Of%20Road(2).pdf Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 8/86 - A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads, Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia] {{webarchive. link. (25 August 2011 - from Malaysian Public Works Department.)
10. [http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/08/29/federal-highway-motorcycle-lanes-to-get-rm3_13mil-upgrade/ Federal Highway motorcycle lanes to get RM3.13mil upgrade] - The Star 29 August 2016
11. [http://paultan.org/2016/10/21/rm29-mil-for-federal-highway-motorcycle-lane-upgrade/ Budget 2017: PM Najib Razak announces RM29 million allocation to upgrade Federal Highway motorcycle lane] - paultan.org 22 October 2016
12. "Arumugam killed".
13. (7 December 2010). "隆联邦大道迷路心慌．夺命U转．SPM考生3死".
14. "17-year-olds called home to say they would be late - Nation - The Star Online".
15. "Five killed in freak collision along Federal Highway (updated) - Nation - The Star Online".
16. "A tragic accident indeed - Letters - The Star Online".
17. (19 February 2018). "Unused Batu Tiga toll plaza claims two lives this morning".
18. [http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=1119&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_01.htm 10 percent toll discount], Utusan Online. Accessed March 26, 2009.
19. (1 January 2018). "Jubilant send-off for decades-old toll plazas on New Year Day".
20. "PLUS to go cashless to help ease congestion on highway - Community - The Star Online".
21. (1 September 2014). "Cashless tolls put on hold".
22. "Fully electronic toll collection at Batu Tiga, Sungai Rasau plazas from Nov 22 - Nation - The Star Online".
23. (1 June 2017). "Tropicana project enhances Subang, Shah Alam".
24. (14 November 2016). "Starbucks Drive-Thru Petronas Federal Highway Opening Promotions ⋆ More Promo".