THE Federal Highway, built in 1959, is Malay-sia’s first expressway. It remains one of the busiest highways in the country and a key route that connects Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang.
But despite its importance, the highway has been poorly maintained, based on checks recently by the New Straits Times along the toll-free stretch, from Seputeh to Port Klang, and a little further to West Port.
Common problems facing motorists plying the highway daily are potholes, unevenly tarred roads, lack of road indicators and shoddy patchwork on old potholes. There were also damaged road signages that had yet to be replaced.
The closer we get to Klang from Petaling Jaya, the more problems we noticed, including poor lighting and unreplaced bulbs. The road towards the KL stretch seem to be better maintained.
The Federal Highway was built to replace the former Jalan Kuala Lumpur–Klang and has seen many upgrading works in the last 60 years.
The highway, which operates with four to six lanes, is the busiest highway in the Klang Valley. There are massive traffic jams daily, especially during rush hour.
There used to be two toll plazas on the Federal Highway, namely Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau, which were built in 1993 and abolished in 2018. Major townships accessible through the highway include Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya, Subang Jaya, Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, Klang and Port Klang.
The Federal Highway was the first expressway to have a motorcycle lane. The highway’s Kota Darul Ehsan arch is the biggest in the country. It also has the biggest cloverleaf interchange in Malaysia at Bulatan Selangor in Shah Alam.
Motorcyclist Mohd Noorul Abdin Jailani, 42, an engineering technician who travels from West Port to Subang daily for work, said traffic on the Federal Highway was unpredictable and accidents could cause hours of delay.
He said over the years, the Federal Highway had transformed and improved, but one problem that never goes away were the potholes caused by heavy vehicles.
“Every time the potholes are fixed, cracks will surface again in a few weeks, and get even bigger. The quality of material is probably substandard, which explains why fixed potholes do not last.”
He said he felt uncomfortable riding his motorcycle on the highway at night because it was difficult to see potholes.
“There are a few blind spots that pose a danger to road users. Some parts of the road are badly tarred, so when it rains, the substances can mix with water, creating a greasy layer that can be very slippery.”
On weekdays or peak hours, there is a restricted route on the Federal Highway from Sungai Rasau to Subang. Heavy vehicles (except buses and tankers) weighing 10,000kg or more cannot enter the expressway between 6.30am and 9.30am on Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
Noorul said despite the ban, many lorries carrying large containers still ply the highway, which causes more traffic congestion and damage to the road.
Another road user, Kamariah Che Noor, 50 said besides damage to the road, pollution caused by lorries and trailers was also very bad, especially in Port Klang and West Port area.
“They produce dust and thick smoke, which are bad for the health of residents living nearby.”
She said she did not see any enforcement to punish drivers of heavy vehicles that flout the ban.