Re Open Junction To Ease Traffic Woes In Kg Baru Sg Buloh

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Letter to Editor
The worsening traffic congestion in Kg Baru Sg Buloh needs to be acted upon by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) Daerah Petaling.
Jalan Welfare, which is the main access road, is too narrow and cannot be broadened without the acquisition of private adjacent lands. Jalan Welfare is the main road that serves a large residential area, along with the SME Zone.
Despite numerous suggestions and complaints, nothing has been done to alleviate the aggravating traffic impasse.
The only possible short-term solution could be the re-opening of the former Jalan Baru junction, which will allow Jalan Baru to be used as a second access road to the large industrial zone as well as the village.
The junction was closed when the Jalan Sg Buloh-Subang was widened in 2006-2008. There was no need to close the junction as traffic lights could have been installed to regulate traffic.
Many appeals were made by residents and factory operators to re-open the junction considering that Jalan Welfare will not be able to cater to the increasing traffic especially of heavy vehicles headed to the SME Zone, which is the largest in Selangor.
I had also appealed to the JKR Petaling, the Works Ministry, the newly elected MP and state assemblyman, the road upgrading project contractor and even to the then Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on the need to keep the junction open and the serious problems it could cause if the junction was sealed off.
I had even cited the fires that regularly happened in the SME zone and that the narrow Jalan Welfare could hamper a speedy response from the firefighters. The excuse given by the road widening contractor was that there was no plan to keep the junction open under the road upgrading project.
Despite my best efforts the junction was closed. Many of the residents feel that if Barisan Nasional (BN) had won the general election, the residents’ appeal to keep the Jalan Baru junction open could have received a positive response as the junction could have been widened to the maximum possible. Pakatan Rakyat came to power in Selangor in 2008.
Another alternative could be to build a flyover from the Shell station to the Forestry Department Office frontage opposite the Megamas Business Centre to provide non-stop passage for traffic on the Sg Buloh-Subang road.
However, the MRT pillars on the middle of the road and by the side of the road could complicate problems for the flyover.
Whatever it is, the congestion on the Jalan Sg Buloh-Subang road as well as on Jalan Welfare needs to be addressed.
This is as the increasing volume of traffic brought about by the SME industrial zone, the development of Kwasa Damansara as well as the increase in traffic volume heading into Kota Damansara, the DASH highway and Subang Airport could lead to a severe gridlock if the problem is not resolved as soon as possible.
Lastly, the unfinished road linking the Petaling District Office with Jalan Sg Buloh-Subang (near the EPF headquarters building) needs to be completed to ease some of the congestion by dispersing traffic. 
V. Thomas is a Focus Malaysia viewer.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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