Ahead of Raya exodus, Lipis MP urges those travelling via Gua Musang to take note of detour due to LTU Expressway construction (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — With Aidilfitri less than two weeks away, Lipis MP Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad has taken to social media to remind those returning to their hometowns in the East Coast to use alternative routes to prevent traffic build-up at Jalan Gua Musang due to ongoing construction work.
Abdul Rahman, also deputy works minister, said he acknowledges the concerns faced by motorists who will be returning to their hometowns for the weekend-long celebration through the existing Federal Route 8 which has been partially closed.
He said half of the two-lane dual carriageways has been closed to facilitate the construction of the ongoing Lingkaran Tengah Utama Expressway (LTU) and an alternative route has been made available to mitigate the traffic volume.
“The ministry and I take note of the concerns raised by road users who will be passing through Jalan Gua Musang.
“I view the matter seriously because motorists returning to Kelantan will utilise roads on the Lipis route, whereby if there is heavy traffic in Gua Musang, it will similarly affect the roads in Lipis as well.
“There are many risks posed towards motorists' risk if they insist on taking Jalan Gua Musang which is currently involved with the LTU project,” he said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
Abdul Rahman said if there were to be a pile-up accident or landslide on the existing road, the existing congestion would be exacerbated further.
“This detour is necessary because of ongoing road works and due to the high volume of vehicles set to travel on the road, a pile-up or landslide would cause major traffic congestion,” he said in the video.
He then apologised for the inconvenience and noted that the alternative route through Jalan Hospital-Jalan Jelawang-Jalan Gua Musang had been widened and is safe for use.
LTU Expressway, previously known as Central Spine Road is a new toll-free highway under construction in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia.
The LTU is a high-impact project under the Works Ministry, which involves six packages from Kelantan to Pahang covering a total of over 300km, with an allocation of RM10 billion.
