PASIR GUDANG:Residents around the Pasir Gudang Highway have reported increased congestion on the highway since last week, following simultaneous road repairs at several locations.
A survey by Berita Harian during peak hours found that traffic was worse than before the repair works began.
At the same time, observations on the Pasir Gudang Highway found that the road repairs start after the Taman Rinting flyover towards Pasir Gudang city centre, and only one of the three available lanes can be used.
Housewife Aminah Mad Sali, 58, said she had to leave early from her home in Jalan Tasek, Bandar Seri Alam, to go to the Sultan Ismail Hospital for treatment.
She noted that before the road repairs, the journey from her home to the hospital only took 10 minutes.
"But now, if I have a hospital appointment, I have to leave early in the morning, either after dawn prayers or by 7am. If I leave at 8am, the journey to HSI takes an hour.
"We want to arrive early, get treatment early, and return home early. If we arrive late, we end up waiting even longer at the hospital.
"Since last week, this road is frequently congested. I don't know what else is being done. The Pasir Gudang Highway remains damaged due to heavy lorries that frequently pass through," she said.
The congestion on the route was highlighted by Pasir Gudang member of parliament Hassan Abdul Karim, who claimed that Pasir Gudang Highway users have faced traffic jams lasting two to three hours almost every day since last week.
He alleged that too many road repairs were being carried out simultaneously on the route, with several lanes closed, worsening the congestion.
For example, he mentioned that on Jalan Pantai, from Johor Baru to Permas Jaya, there was an unusually severe traffic jam reported last week.
Aminah also shared that her son, who works in Taman Molek, has started leaving home an hour earlier.
"Normally, from our home to Taman Molek it only takes 10 minutes, but due to the congestion, he leaves as early as 8am.
"Once, it took me two hours to get home from Skudai. Last Thursday, the road was already congested from midday," she said.
Photographer Raja Jaafar Raja Ali, 58, noted that road repairs are also being carried out beneath the flyover from Pasir Gudang heading towards Kota Tinggi, adding further to the traffic congestion.
He said that the route from Jalan Pantai, Johor Baru to Permas Jaya was also congested last week, but it has now fully recovered after some repair works were completed.
"Usually, this road is congested on regular days, especially during peak hours in the morning and evening when many are returning from work. But since the road repairs started, it's congested even on holidays.
"The congestion on Jalan Pantai last week was due to resurfacing works, with contractors closing one lane while keeping the other two open for vehicles.
"Yesterday and today, I passed through Jalan Pantai, and everything was smooth without congestion," he said.