KL-Karak highway expansion expected to finish in 2029

Works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi announced that the KL-Karak highway expansion project, initially expected to be finished in 2030, is now projected to be completed a year earlier, in 2029. The RM2.1 billion initiative, which commenced on March 9, aims to alleviate congestion and enhance the safety and comfort of motorists traveling between Kuala Lumpur and the east coast.

The project will widen the Gombak-Genting Sempah segment from three to four lanes and expand the Genting Sempah-Mempaga section from two to three lanes. A third tunnel at Genting Sempah, measuring 999 meters, will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method and will coexist with the existing westbound tunnel, opened in 1978, and the eastbound tunnel, opened in 1996.

Nanta expressed enthusiasm about the project's timeline, stating that it is ahead of schedule and would address the increasing traffic on the highway. Currently, the expressway accommodates an average of over 135,000 vehicles daily, compared to approximately 41,000 in 1997.