Road congestion ‘cannot be avoided’ with works on RTS Link
JOHOR BAHRU – Road users in Johor Bahru’s city centre should brace for more traffic congestion in the second and third quarter of the year as the construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link reaches its peak, said Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman.
He said many roads are expected to be closed from April until September to make way for the ongoing cross border rail construction project that will link Johor Bahru and Singapore when it is completed by end-2026.
“This will no doubt affect the already heavy traffic congestion, but it cannot be avoided. Rest assured, we are looking at ways to address the situation,” he said after launching a residential project in Ulu Tiram on Jan 30.
Traffic snarls on roads such as Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim, Jalan Tebrau and Jalan Wong Ah Fook by City Square in downtown JB are common these days due to the ongoing construction and high vehicle volume.
Mr Noorazam added that the council is also in talks with KTM to improve connectivity once the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track (EDT) project is completed by 2025.
“Similar to the RTS Link, we want to provide passengers with good connectivity after arriving at the station; to bring people to the sub-urban areas and vice versa using public transport and park and ride facilities,” he added.
The Gemas-JB EDT will link JB Sentral to the Electrified Train Service station in Gemas, shortening train journeys between Johor and Kuala Lumpur Sentral to 3½ hours. – THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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