Four sections of WCE expected to be ready by March next year

IPOH: WCE Holdings Bhd is targeting the four sections of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) which are currently in the construction phase to be completed by the end of the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2024.

The four sections are in Section 1, Section 2, Section 6 and Section 11 and when fully completed, they can connect Section 1 with the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Section 2 with the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS ), Section 6 with the Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) and Section 11 with the North-South Expressway (PLUS).

In addition, Sections 3, 4, and 7 are expected to be fully completed by the 2025 financial year.

WCE Holdings chief executive officer Lyndon Alfred Felix said he expected traffic flow to increase with the opening of the four new sections later.

“Several factors that contribute to this confidence (traffic flow increase) are first, three out of four sections are located in Selangor where the volume of traffic tends to be higher.

“Second, these sections are connected to other major highways which will encourage more use and third, the opening of these four sections will create greater opportunities for medium to long distance transport as well as commercial vehicles,” he said in a statement.

Lyndon said the company expects an increase in medium to long distance users as well as an increase in commercial vehicles, with the congestion on the PLUS highway likely to play an important role in diverting road users to WCE.

He said that since its opening in 2019, the four operational sections have seen impressive traffic figures, with an average of 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles passing through it daily, marking an increase of 65 per cent compared to the previous financial year.

“During the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in April, traffic reached a record 100,000 vehicles per day, a significant increase from 60,000 vehicles per day during the same festive period in the previous financial year,” he said.

Lyndon said that presently 99.9 per cent of the land acquisition for the entire project has been completed.

“The land trial process for the remaining eight lots related to Section 3 of the WCE (KESAS-Federal Highway Route 2) has been completed and payment to the landowner is being finalised.

“We expect to fully complete the land acquisition process for the eight lots by the end of this year,” he said.

Established in December 2000 and listed on Nov 17, 2003, WCE Holdings focuses on the implementation of WCE projects through its subsidiary West Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd.

This build-operate-transfer privatisation project involves the construction of 320 kilometres of roads, including 83 kilometres of toll-free sections on Federal Route 5 upgraded by the Public Works Department, connecting the west coast of the peninsula from Banting in Selangor to Taiping in Perak. – BK