RAWANG: More than 30,000 road users in Hulu Selangor and Selayang will get to enjoy the newly opened Rawang Bypass starting today.
The 9km toll-free highway, which features a 2.7km elevated stretch, was launched on Tuesday by the Works Ministry.
With the new bypass, motorists can now reduce their travel time during peak hours, from Rawang and Serendah to Kuala Lumpur, from two hours to just 30 minutes.
What makes it attractive and unique is it is the tallest highway in the country which involved the construction of pillar structures at the height of 58.2 meters.
A passerby Hanif Abu Kassim, 55, from Taman Serendah Makmur here, was thankful to the government for providing such a facility for people in the surrounding area.
"I usually take the old routes to get to Kuala Lumpur and it takes me almost an hour to reach due to traffic congestion during peak hours.
"Now with this newly constructed bypass, my travel time to the city is only 20 minutes.
"I am thankful to the government for providing this accessibility. I can bring my family here to enjoy the view of the forest as well as Rawang town," said Hanif when met at the highway.
Checks by the New Straits Times at the location also saw several motorists parking their vehicles along the roadside and taking selfies with the scenery in the background.
Norfatmayati Redzuan, 41, from Templer Park here, said with the highway she could go anywhere with ease.
"I can travel to Serendah, Selayang and the city centre in less than 30 minutes.
"I do not need to worry about leaving the house early just to beat the traffic," she said.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the two-way lane would shorten the journey to the city center during peak hours from two hours to 30 minutes.
"The project is one of the unique landmarks in the road construction history. It gives motorists the feeling of as if they are driving through fog (mist) after it rains or early in the morning.
"Road users can also enjoy the scenery and view of Rawang town," said Fadillah at the launching ceremony.
He said the project costing RM628 million was constructed using the Movable Scaffolding System (MSS).
The MSS, he said, was to preserve the ecosystem by preventing the use of excessive heavy machinery during the construction.
Fadillah also said the government took into consideration the impact on the environment in order to maintain the ecosystem as it was built through the Selangor State Park.
"The project only took up about 23.6 ha of the forest land from its 64 ha. We also want to preserve the Giam Kanching, a species of tree which can only be found in the park here," he added.
The construction of the project began on July 16, 2005, and was completed on Nov 21.